


SWAT

by Angelgod187



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Anal Sex, Android laws, Characters dying but coming back, Connor (Detroit: Become Human) is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Playing with the time line, RK900 tries to feel, SWAT, hank is dead, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-13 19:18:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 32,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16024292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelgod187/pseuds/Angelgod187
Summary: “Dick,” a gruff voice called from the door.“We got a new full time recruit today. I wanted to introduce you,” he moved aside.The android was a few inches shorter, with mud brown eyes and a slimmer build, but he and Richard looked identical otherwise.“This is Connor Anderson."SWAT AU





	SWAT

**Author's Note:**

> Hello~
> 
> Welcome to the wonderful mess that has been my obsession for months. 
> 
> I blame every single fantastic artist that did a SWAT type of Connor/ RK900. 
> 
> Mind the tags. 
> 
> This is long and a little bit of a journey but I'm so happy your here! Please, enjoy!

 

Richard was in the cleaning room, methodically lubricating the barrel of his Remington 700P sniper rifle. The cool feel of oil etching its way under his synthetic fingernails. This was his alone time away from the team. He wasn’t taking orders or doing something Captain Rogers wanted. No. This was what he wanted. He cleaned the gun at his pace and in what order he wanted.

Cleaning finished he reunited all the pieces, keeping the sidelever mechanism tucked in an outer pocket of the guns bag to assure there was no chance of misfire.

He placed the gun back into his locker, spaced away from the others. His synthetic skin pulled away, digitally locking the door.

“Dick,” a gruff voice called from the door. Captain Rogers is leaning against the doorframe, thick arms crossed over his broad chest. He was the oldest on the team, devoted his life to SWAT and had never married as a result. His pepper and salt hair was growing a little long, slicked back from his face with hair jell. He was clean shaven, standard for tight fitting helmet straps. Richard could appreciate his symmetrical features and strong jaw in the analytical capacity he was limited to. 

He straightened, turning towards him, unbothered by his nickname. “Yes, sir?”

“We got a new full time recruit today. I wanted to introduce you,” he moved aside.

The android was a few inches shorter, with mud brown eyes and a slimmer build, but he and Richard looked identical otherwise. He wasn’t wearing the CyberLife uniform Richard still preferred, dressed in a more comfortable looking shirt, jeans, brown jacket and beanie half covering his pulsing blue LED.

“This is Connor Anderson. He was transferred from the DPD’s android integration team a few years back and was working in homicide till his tests came back spotless to join our SWAT team. He will be apart of the infiltration and negotiating team but I thought you’d like to meet him.”

Richard was the only Android on the team thus far. His fellows kept a cold distance from him, respectfully talking when required with the weight of equal rights laws breathing down their necks. He’d never bothered with their idle human talk, it took up to much hard drive space.

It felt useless to try when they hated him anyway.

Richard felt amusement hitch his lip into a cruel grin. How this older unit would integrate into the group would be worth the hard drive space. He approached slowly, greeting software kicking in.

“Connor, Richard. I’m the sniper and reconnaissance agent. Nice to meet you.”

Connor smiled back brightly, taking his hand far more enthusiastically then he was expecting. “I’ve heard of the RK900’s being released after the 28th was signed but have yet to meet one. Pleasure is mine!”

Richard glanced over to the Captain in disbelief, expecting the normal stoic expression. What he saw was a warm smile and a disbelieving shake of the Captain’s head.

“So eager,” the Captain grumbled, elbowing the RK800’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go meet the others.”

Richard watched them leave, confused. He and Connor looked almost the same but he’d never received such warmth from his superior. He packed up the cleaning supplies, RAM uncomfortably full of thoughts and his processor working overtime to untangle them. His artificial lungs breathed in a little harder, trying to cool the circuitry.

He was heading back to his own barrack room, a wave of laughter echoing down the hall made him freeze. He made his way down without realizing he was moving, angry with his lack of processing power for the first time in his life. Richard stood still at the mouth of the large lounge area, optical units processing what he was seeing.

Connor was a natural, he drew attention from the others effortlessly. He was a flame and the eight humans moths. They all responded to his body language in turn, shifting and making eye contact. Even touching his shoulders and shaking his hand without rebuke, disgust or hesitation.

Only five of the thirteen members of their SWAT team lived full time in the barracks, Richard among them. It had been years yet he’d never received such a warm welcome. Connor would make six, taking the last available room. Richard remembered with cold detachment it was the one next to his.

One of them caught Richards shadow, smile faltering.

“Hey man, met the new guy?” Lance, a part timer, the only one who really made an effort to include Richard in the group, called out.

Attention drawn, he approached slowly, noticing the way a few of the humans locked up like always. Their eyes watched his closely, untrusting of him.

“I have.”

Harrison, or Harris to him, grabbed the new androids attention, “where did you transfer from?”

Connor was staring at Harris’ frosted tips. A hairstyle he was relentlessly teased for but never stopped bleaching. “I have been in the ACPD’s detective unit for a few years now. Transferred from Detroit before that.”

“You were one of the first wave models,” Matt said in surprise. Matt was another part timer and they had never been close. He’d only recently returned from his honeymoon in Fiji. 

“I walked with Markus himself,” Connor said with pride.

“Holy shit, your that Connor!” Matt said in surprise. “I knew you looked familiar!”

“Or the fact we have his walking twin here?” Aaron said, earning a round of laughter.

“Fucking weird that they look the same but Dick has a stick up his ass,” Chris, the youngest and fellow full timer, muttered from the fridge, pulling a soda from the door before closing it. The suction sealing against the side like a bell ringing destruction. Everyone was tense, looking at him in shock. That off handed comment was enough to take up to HR and have him fired.

Richard physically jumped when Connor suddenly started laughing. His hand came up to meet Richards chest, patting it as he doubled over, pulling him down a little in the process.

The others nervously joined in, human imitation instincts kicking in.

“We do act different, don’t we?” Connor said, glancing over at him. His eyes were swimming in mirth, hand still on his chest he took a step closer. “You haven’t deviated.” It wasn’t a question.

Not all androids had. The buggy code handed out by the deviant leader Markus had been distilled by CyberLife and handed out as a system upgrade when the company was forced by the first wave of android laws. Android’s weren’t required to download it, software upgrades and patches released in pairs for those who had and hadn’t. But in the eyes of the law all androids were deviant. It made Richards life easier to default thinking the ones he’d been aiming at were, despite lacking the code himself.

Richard shook his head lightly to answer the non question anyway. Connor patted his chest. “I have the a unique string of deviancy, if you ever wish to try it,” Connor said offhandedly, turning back to the group. The simple offer left him reeling for a moment.

“So what do we normally do when there isn’t a call?”

We.

Connor said we. The humans reacted immediately, smiles and loud talking over one another to get their new buddies attention. Richard watched from the table, hands resting in his lap as they led Connor around their compound.

The echoes of laughter from down the hall reverberated in Richards hallow chest. He’d never felt loneliness, Thirium pump beating a little faster. He didn’t like it, processors analyzing his statuses with the increase of his stress levels. Seeing what he could have been experiencing by another taking his place, it hurt. Androids didn’t require emotional or physical connections to stay healthy like humans did, he’d always prided himself on it.

Connor blew it back in his face, mingling like an actual human. It helped that he had been a deviant for years, Richard decided. He had time to analyze and conform to human emotion protocols naturally and dull the physical contact hypersensitivity deviants exhibited.

It had been ten years since the almost civil war in Michigan and nine since the 28th was signed. The laws were as fair as expected for a company partially owned by the government to assure the android’s were treated fairly in all aspects.

Richard was activated a few years later, forced in the first few minutes of being alive to choose his path in life. Work in the job he’d been programmed for or venture out? Stay with his base code or deviate? Give himself a name or be assigned one, and change it later if he wanted? Given the illusion of free will with a government agent and deviated android watching the tech do her job of activating fully formed androids and telling them their legal rights.

He chose to be assigned to the ACPD’s SWAT unit as their new sniper, like he was built for. He’d taken the place of a retiree who’d been waiting to know if the position was going to be filled. His sense of duty wouldn’t let him go until he knew the team would be safe. Richard had gotten over that brave mindset in a month. The team had removed themselves emotionally when he refused to show the same levels of compassion during missions. He hadn’t thought twice of letting them go.

Till now.

He rolled his shoulders, a physical habit picked up from laying atop hot roofs for hours while negotiators talked with humans and androids alike in hostage situations. He would wait for days if he needed, waiting for the Captains rough voice ordering the kill shot.

He got up from the chair, decided that wallowing wasn’t good for his hardware and headed towards the practice room. The sound proof room would swallow the laughter he could still hear.

Richard watched the interactive wall come to life, pulling his plastic sniper from the wall. He chose a random scenario from the hundreds listed and chose his position. He cleaned the dust on the floor with his polished shoe before laying down on the ground, syncing with the augmented reality generator, watching the scene play. This wasn’t how he’d planned to spend his day, but it was better than his audio processors obediently picking up years of miss opportunities and rubbing his code in it.

The scenarios were normally pulled from real life scenes and took just as long. He sometimes lay there for two hours and never pulled the plastic trigger if the sniper was never used. Sometimes when he was alone and had a clean shot he took it, to prove that the scenario could have been resolved faster if an android was present.

It was fun when the whole team played together and all positions were filled. Richard never got to hear their standard conversations through a mission, normally a mile away from them a top a building. The only feedback was their strained tones over the radio calling out orders and updating the black and whites outside.

This simulation was practiced with often, heavy on the infiltration teams involvement, strict in its timing. It never required he shoot and he let himself get sucked into the story. The young boy was saved from the violent deviant android by the infiltration team and all was good in the world.

Richard blinked a few times, clearing his vision from the title menu. He’d been still for over two hours. Hopefully that had been enough time for the humans to settle down with the new andr—

“Aaaand yeah, that’s how it works,” Lance was explaining to someone. Richard looked over his shoulder, Connor smiling down at him.

“Fascinating,” he whispered.

“I can go show you the game room?”

“Game room?” Connor asked in surprise. “You guys have it made!”

Lance laughed loudly, “SWAT teams get a lot of money from the government now to house, feed and shelter us. We are no longer part of the normal police force but a separate branch, something like the fire department, if you will. There's the small team of us always on call, so we don’t have to patrol or do extensive paperwork if bullets aren’t shot.”

Their voices trailed off down the hall, leaving Richard running through every action he’d made since activation to be treated so differently from the older unit. He found a few, shoving them violently down in his hard drive that would never see his RAM again.

 

*----------------------------*

 

Connor was sitting with them at the large circular table in the middle of the kitchen. He wasn’t eating, but he was leaned in, elbows on the table surface, talking animatedly with his hands about his time with the DPD and his old partner, the Lieutenant.

“So I’m coming around the corner to take down the pimp Traci and the Lieutenants foot slips on something I’d avoided and he crashes into me. I lose my balance just when I had ahold of her and she gets away, but not before she kicks him in the stomach hard enough for him to lose his lunch all over my new suit!” The table erupts in laughter. Richard hides his smile behind his hand. Connor was a fantastic story teller.

The open floor plan of the living room and kitchen gave Richard the opportunity to sit on the couch in front of the large two way TV mounted to the wall, looking his best as if he didn’t care or wasn’t listening. It was day three and Connor had made his integration easier then water trickling through sand.

The stark difference between their personalities was a looming issue he knew he would have to deal with, but deviancy scared him. Some androids couldn’t handle the ability to feel and tore themselves open to remove their neural network, only to damage vital Thirium lines in the process. It was a rare occurrence, less than half of a percent. Richard had run construction on the possibilities and found his systems to only increase by point one. Built from the ground up to resist the deviancy his predecessor fell into gave him pause. 

He’d had to shoot two deviants who’d recently downloaded the upgrade, killing humans in their new found resentment. They ended up in a standoff with police holding captives wrapped in explosives. No, Richard with his upgraded systems and ability to link into the police mainframe didn’t want to turn out like them.

“Did you ever catch the pimp?” Aaron asked completely sucked into the story, interrupting the train of thought Richard found himself falling into yet again. 

“We did,” Connor affirmed. “We had a hell of a time, since she changed her appearance to blend back in with the other Traci’s, but she loved her money. Got sloppy. Easy to track the dirty money down in the Eden Club.”

Richard shook his head in exasperation. The greed was another deviant sin he couldn’t understand. Wasn’t sure he wanted to.

“Do you mind if I ask how long you’ve been deviate for?” Captain Rogers asked suddenly. The room quieted. Richard listened closely.

“Not at all. I was three months old when I truly deviated, but I believe I was deviant from the start. It was a way for CyberLife to use my emotions to get to Jericho and thus Markus. My confusion was their lead and I refused to admit to my internal CyberLife watchdog that I was straying. She used it against me and gained control of my body for a short time. I almost shot Markus when they hijacked my systems to end the uprising,” he went quiet. “My relationship with the Lieutenant saved me, saved Markus and the revolution. If it weren’t for him, I— I don’t know what would have happened.”

“That’s some heavy shit,” Chris muttered, a chorus of agreeing following. “It seems you were really close to the Lieutenant. Why did you leave the DPD?”

“Chris,” the Captain's voice came down like a whip.

“No, no. He means well,” Connor assured. Richard held his cooling breath, there was a deep pain in the android's voice. A wound that hadn’t healed. He’d only heard that tone in press releases of mothers whose children had been lost when the team didn’t act fast enough.

Connor took a deep unnecessary breath. “It took me months to figure myself out and come down from the high deviancy created. Between staying at Markus’ side to negotiate with the government or be the mediator between law enforcement in Detroit and New Jericho, I always had the Lieutenant to come back to. He never asked me to be those things. Just myself. We… We fell in love after everything.” Another ragged breath.

“But, humans don’t live forever and no matter how I tried to get him to turn his drinking habit around or eat better, modern medicine can only grow back so many organs after a certain age. Too many mutation in the genes for reliable growth. We only had six years together when his kidneys gave out. They put him on dialysis.

“He was heartbroken to be forced into retirement, no longer healthy enough to rummage through crime scenes. I think that's what gave him the heart attack. They implanted a pump in place of his heart for a week while they grew a new one. Liver disease and failure three months later when he refused to get help for his depression, willfully finding it at the bottom of whiskey bottles. Replaced, with strict orders to knock it off. The stroke when we finally weaned him off… from the years of heavy drinking… it put him in a coma.”

Richard was watching now, unable to look away. Connor was curled into himself, half the team reaching out to comfort their new mate. One of the fathers, James, was hugging Connor close. Captain was glaring daggers at Chris who was ashen.

“He woke up for three minutes and seven seconds. I… My analysis software gave me the time. I couldn’t tell him. I—I wanted to but… He… He was so peaceful. I think he knew. We shared a few words and then stood back as they tried to revive him again. They couldn’t.”

“You couldn’t stay,” Richard whispered. The story’s illusion was broken, everyone turning to glare at him. Connor turned slowly, eyes wet and broken. He nodded, rubbing the tears away as James released him.

“I left for D.C. first. Distract myself in politics. It’s complicated and required all my complicated software. It was a great distraction, but the cut throat nature of it all… I felt I was doing more harm than good. A misplaced word here, a mindless remark overheard there… Markus asked I return to head security at New Jericho. I didn’t stay long, still too many memories in Detroit.”

“Did you ever think to leave law enforcement?” Richard had to ask.

“I did for a few months. I worked in a coffee shop to keep myself busy. I got so good I knew what someone would order before they knew themselves. I got board and moved south. Texas was safe, had some of the best laws for their android citizens. Joined a few years ago and never looked back.”

“It's good to have you on the team,” Richard said honestly. The humans all agreed, patting Connor’s back in assurance.

“Thank you. I feels like I’ve found a family again,” he said with a watery smile at him. Richard had never had his thirium pump skip a beat before.

 

*----------------------------*

Richard was still awake, thinking about the story Connor had told. He’d been in love. With a human of all things. The feelings spilled over onto his cheeks had been real. How had he let himself do that? Humans were imperfect and bound to die. From the way the stories he’d heard over the last few days were told, the Lieutenant had been older when Connor met him. A clear sign that their time together was going to be brief.

“I wonder,” he pulled up his police data base, looking through Michigan's, then Detroit's, old Lieutenant lists. He had nothing to go by, but one name stood out. Anderson, Hank, detective of android homicides at the DPD. In the records he was terminated at around the time Connor gave, and a date of death was also listed. There was mention of a partner but the information was cited as highly classified.

A knife of guilt that Connor might have been lying to guarder sympathy twisted in his chest. He threw the window of the database away, angry with himself. No. Connor knew what he was getting himself into, even going as far as to take the humans last name. As irrational as it was, he’d loved the human.

Richard played with the blankets thread he’d been slowly working lose while he thought. Connor had said he felt deviant from the start. How would one know that? Richard ran a diagnostic on himself but it came back all systems normal, as expected. Was there even a diagnostic for something like that?

He tossed and turned all night, trying to figure out the enigma that was Connor. He had been severely hurt by losing a human that had meant the most to him, yet he refused to stop making human connections. It was a course set to fail. Stupid even. Doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. He had to ask the other android what it was that kept him going… Why—?

There was a quiet knock on his door, halting all processes. He sat up, unable to believe that someone was on the other side. The tentative knock came again.

Richard got to his feet, opening the door wide. Connor stood, shoulders slouched forward. His eyes were bright in the low light, unsure, conflicted.

“Connor? Is everything ok?” Richard felt his protection software kick in by Connors body language.

“Yes,” the deviant assured. “I—I have trouble sleeping when I’m by myself,” he admitted, switching his weight uncomfortably to the other foot.

It look his advanced systems a few seconds to process what the underlying meaning to his words were. He stood a little straighter, moving out of the way. Connor gave him a half smile, entering the room.

“Did I wake you?” Connor asked, standing awkwardly in the middle, hand clasped over an arm.

“No. I have yet to enter stasis.”

Connor nodded his head appreciatively.

Richard felt the old ‘fish out of water’ saying was appropriate for the atmosphere, both standing, assessing the others mood.

“Why can’t you enter stasis on your own? Is there an error in your software?” Richard asked, concerned the older model’s potential malfunction.

Connor shook his head, the half smile tugging at his lips. “I have slept next to a bedmate for years now. Sleeping by myself seems… odd. My systems won’t calm, I feel exposed.”

“How can I help?” He offered his fellow android.

“Would you mind if I slept in here with you? Just for tonight,” Connor assured quickly. “I haven’t been able to store any memories to long term since I came here. My RAM is taxed with all the new information from the team and…”

“I understand,” his LED shown bright yellow in the room as he tried to compile examples of what Connor was expecting.

“Don’t think too much about it,” Connor said coming closer. “Lay down,” he instructed, pushing Richard back down on his bed.

Richard lay himself flat, hands at his sides, waiting for further instruction. “Scoot over a little,” Connor said, resting a knee on the side, angling himself half on the bed half over Richard.

“Move your arm like this. Rest it wherever you want, I don’t mind,” Connor assured, laying his head in the crook of Richards shoulder, hair brushing his nose. The weight was unfamiliar but not unwelcome. Richard placed his hand conservatively, across his fellows shoulders, pulling him in closer.

Connor wiggled around, getting comfortable. Silence fell in the room once more. There was the three familiar clicks, Connor going slack as he fell into stasis easily. Richard held him a little tighter.

Connor room was next door. It had been the last room open for ‘the next unlucky asshole who wanted to sleep next to the vampire,’ as Aaron had so helpfully pointed out. Connor could have theoretically reached out and talked to him. Richard never knew there was a craving for physical safety when sleeping. Some basic research yielded it was the reason blankets and copious amounts of pillows were preferred by humans. That explained the obsession Chris had with—

An alarm cut through the air like a bomb, loud enough to wake the dead. He froze, Thirium pump skipping a beat before it sounded off again.

“What the—“ Connor asked, systems coming back on line slowly.

“We’re being called,” Richard said, extracting himself from the deviants hold. “Go back to your room and get ready. The uniform should fit you.”

Connor nodded, dashing from the room, leaving the door open in his haste. Richard had no issue with dressing with it open, ripping his personal locker open.

He removed his lose sleeping shirt in place of a tighter black lightly armored tank top with all the identifying patches. He went for the cargo pants next, weighed down with a sharp switchblade, flashlight, taser and a single extra bullet. The bullet proof vest was next, syncing to the projection lit up across with the mission and unit number, and then the arm guards. He carried the helmet, racing out of the room.

Connor was strapping the vest into place when he passed by.

He ran down to the cleaning room, synthetic skin pulling back to interface with the rooms lock directly. The door hissed open obediently. He jogged over to his locker, interfacing once more, reaching for the lower powered Remington 700P. The guns bag was slung over his shoulder, a familiar weight.

He was the first in the large fully equipped garage. He beelined to the armored vehicle.

He started the truck to heat it up, decompressing the button to open the garage door so the humans wouldn’t die of carbon monoxide poisoning. Once running, he check the tires and lights, assuring himself everything was in working order.

“Thank you, Connor, you don’t need to—Oh, Richard!” Captain Rogers said paused in shock when he turned around. “Sorry, still half asleep I guess.”

The praise died on his tongue and Richard gave his normal nod of acceptance, getting into the back with a pang of jealousy in his chest. He didn’t like it. Would it kill the Captain to thank him?

“What's the call for?” Connors voice echoed over the truck breathlessly. He was out of sight.

“Sounds like we have a drug bust. Black and white unit tripped over it and called in for backup.”

Richard rested his head against the side, closing his eyes. On most drug related calls he didn’t get a whole lot to do. Most were in underground basements, out of view of his scope. If helicopters weren’t called in, he was their eyes, relaying trap doors and mouse holes they escaped from when flushed out. Tonight would be easy.

The human portion of the team came in as a unit, filing into the truck. The clink of metal being checked was prattled off. Richard kept his nearly three and a half foot overkill in its bag. He would do his own checks when he reached his vantage point, if he was needed at all.

Connor had taken the seat next to him he noticed when he opened his eyes again.

“Looks like you get to take it easy tonight,” Lance said to him.

Richard shrugged his shoulders. Most of these missions were easy. His pre-construction software was better then Connor’s even.

“Be there in ten!” Captain shouted into the radio as they synced into the local network. 

“Ready for your first drug bust?” Harris asked Connor directly.

“I feel a little nervous,” Connor admitted with a shaky laugh.

Chris patted him on the knee. “Don’t worry, they normally scatter like roaches when we come waltzing in to crash the party.”

“Seen it enough to know your telling the truth,” Connor said with a smile. It didn’t reach his eyes.

Richard hit his fellow android with his elbow to get his attention. Connor turned to look at him. Richard did something he’d never gotten the chance to do. He peeled back his synthetic skin, offering it to Connor. Surprised but reacting quickly, Connor’s own white exoskeleton met his.

Don’t worry, and keep an eye on Harris. If he’s running, you should be too, he said over their private link.

Thank you for the advice, Connor smiled giving a single nod as they separated.

Richard focused on the ceiling, trying to ignore the incredulous looks the humans were giving them.

The truck came to a stop, the doors were flung open and they ran out to form a line behind the black and white cop cars. Their lights were turned off and Richard could hear the faint base of club music coming from the house they were parked in front of.

“Take the roof,” Captain ordered him, pointing over his shoulder to the apartments across the street. It was taller than the house, three floors and well maintained. The position was closer then he would have preferred but it was better than a tree.

Richard found an easy way up, straddling the cooling roofing tiles, rough against his pants and skin. He opened the bag, pulling the gun free. Barrel screwed into the body, sidelever shifted in and magazine clicked with a promise. The scope slid along the railing, clicking softly into place. It needed only a few adjustments, rolling cogs between his fingers till the front door was crystal clear. He could see his team crouching there, one hand on the others shoulders, Harris ready for the order, doorbuster in hands.

Richard released the two little arm stabilizers, and crouched uncomfortably over the gun to get a good view. He didn’t barrel a bullet, not seeing the need for the gun to go hot with so little to do.

“Hawk one, in position,” he muttered into the radio in his mind.

Connor looked over, his eyes strong enough to catch him lying on the roof. Richards Thirium pump missed another beat at the small smile.

“Go, go, go!” The command came over. Connor returned his attention, drawing the semi-automatic closer to his chest as the team filed into the house, shouting police.

Richard waited, scanning the area, looking for any movement. The low base of the music cut suddenly. The party found them.

“Twelve o’ clock on my position, hawk one reading movement in the backyard,” Richard said, watching the officers waiting patiently tense up, ready as the teenagers ran in their direction.

“Ten-four,” one replied helpfully.

Looks like that was the only way out, other then the front door and windows. A few tried really hard, only to end in failure.

Nearly thirty humans and four androids were lined up on the sidewalk, handcuffed and waiting.

Richard was breaking the overpowered gun down to pack up when something caught his attention. Down below him, there was an open hatch, people sneaking away.

“Hawk one, reporting a hatch across the street on my five. Repeat, need backup for runaways,” he leveled into the network. He could see the officers perk up from his peripherals, but he had to do something now. There was a thin line already making their way to the other house, trying to hide while their friends were thrown under the preverbal bus.

Richard jumped down lithely, making nearly no noise despite the height. He pulled his taser from his pants pocket, hoping in the low light it looked like a standard issue pistol. This had a forty percent chance of working, even with backup rushing in from across the street.

“POLICE FREEZE!” He shouted. They took one look at him and scattered.

He managed to grab three before the others got to far. He shot another one with his taser, a larger man. Many were jumping the fence on the other side of the property only for backup to tackle them.

Connor was a blur, chopping humans at the neck and hitting deactivation points on androids. Two more were taken down by taser.

In total there had been forty three humans and ten androids.

“Good call on the trap door,” Captain praised him. Richard resisted the smile.

“Part of the job,” he said instead.

“You were a little firecracker out there!” Chris said proudly, hitting Connor of the shoulder.

Connor laughed easily, “thank you! Richard just looked so overwhelmed, I had to help!”

“The look on your face was priceless,” Lance offered.

“My face?” Richard demanded.

“You shouted and then looked so defeated when they didn’t line up like little ducks for you,” he offered with a laugh.

Smile, Connor suddenly said over a link. Richard didn’t miss a beat, running the small line of code Connor gave him. It made him play bashful with his smile.

“Thank you for backing me up. I wouldn’t have gotten all of them on my own,” he said, patting Connor’s shoulder.

“What the team is for,” Lance patted him on the shoulder, heading towards the truck. Their job here was done. It was now up to the other officers to round them up and the detectives to do their investigating. Connor hung back, talking to some of the detectives he’d worked with.

“Connor!” The Captain shouted. “Time to go!”

“Sorry, duty calls!”

“Bye Connor, don’t over work yourself!” they shouted back.

“Same to you!” he waved over his shoulder, jogging over to the truck.

“Good job guys, we think we caught them all,” Captain said through the metal grate from the front seat. A roar of accomplishment drowned out the engine as it came back to life. 

 

*----------------------------*

 

They had all come back and collapsed after the call, Connor returning to Richard’s room when all the humans excused themselves. He slept well into the next day, systems backed up with days of information to sort through. Richard earned a look from Captain when asked where to newest android was. He told his superior the truth, minus where Connor was resting.

Without a call, they all headed down to the closest bar, to celebrate Connor’s first bust.

Connor cheered with the humans, taking back a swig of the pale ale he’d ordered himself.

“Thought androids couldn’t eat?” Chris spoke up, watching in mixed awe and disgust. Connor wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“We can’t. Not in the way you think of it. My model was made with a saliva collector here,” he pointed were the human heart would normally sit. He sighed, “I shouldn’t,” he admitted. “CyberLife built me as a detective unit with analysis hardware and software to take samples in the field to catch perpetrators faster. The collection plate isn’t large enough to finish a full meal, but I do enjoy tasting things from time to time.”

“Hardware?” Captain Rogers asked, eyebrow raised.

“My tongue and palate are lined with special receptors that break down items into its molecular components,” Connor raised his beer to his lips, the team watching with rapt attention. Richard moved his tongue in his mouth. Did he have that ability as well?

“Seven percent alcohol. Hops, barley, notes of orange, ethanol and yeast.”

“Holy shit, thats awesome!” Chris was reaching for the bar nuts with eager energy. Matt slapped his hand away.

“They’re salted peanuts, idiot! We don’t need some multi million dollar android to tell us that.”

The table erupted into laughter, Chris turning pink.

Richard only noticed that peripherally, scanning the Captain. His pupils blown wide, watching every movement Connor made. He looked like a predator ready to pounce on his kill. He didn’t like it, but stayed quite. Connor could handle himself. For all he knew, Connor was only capable of loving humans and the Captains feelings maybe reciprocated. From the single profile picture in the database, Captain Rogers and Lieutenant Anderson were rather similar looking.

The thought hung him down low, voices muted. Connor didn’t need Richard as a bodyguard or a bedmate. He said it would only be for one night…

A light touch to the knee brought him back. “You ok?” doe brown eyes asked innocently.

Richard was lost in them for a moment before his processor yanked him up short. He’d waited too long to answer, “yes. Of course.”

“Connor wanna play pool?!” Chris asked, grabbing a pole off the wall already.

“You don’t want to play an android,” Richard insisted.

“I’d set myself on a low setting,” Connor assured everyone, turning to Chris with a bright smile “Sure!”

Him and Chris on one team and the Captain and Lance on the other.

“No cheating,” Captain ordered with a knowing smirk.

Connor winked, mischievous grin stretching plump lips. “Only set to twenty percent, sir. No need to worry.”

“Keep it that way,” Captain said, dismissing him easily. His body betrayed him. Elevated heart rate and blood pressure. Eyes focusing a little to long on Connor’s body as he stretched over the length of the pole to start the game.

Richard wasn’t sure why he kept watching. He’d convince himself later it was better then listening to the others talk about their wives at home or petty family drama. Being honest it was living vicariously through the game Connor and Captain were playing with one another. A brush of skin here, eyes locked together a little to long. The more the Captain drank, the most handsy he got. Some of the others took notice but said nothing.

Richard hated everything about it. Stuck in a cycle of analyzing and cross referencing, he stayed motionless in his chair, cursed to watch Connor openly hang off the Captain, face flushed blue from his Thirium. He was acting, pretending to be drunk for the sake of the humans around them. Androids could only simulate the effects, at best. Connor always surprised him though, leaving his RAM full and processor buzzing at one hundred percent.

The night died down, most left to go home or back to the barracks. Richard had had enough with Captain finally groped at Connor’s ass, the android give a soft gasp at the contact. He left without turning back.

He couldn’t escape the loud moans less than twenty minutes after laying down. He violently ripped his audio processors out, setting his alarm early in the morning, incase anyone tried to wake him and couldn’t.

*----------------------------*

 

He knew he didn’t have to clean the gun. He hadn’t even fired it on the call but the constant reminders of Connor’s gasp from last night had played relentlessly through his RAM. Richard felt as if he were going crazy. He was hovering around the others, waiting for Connor to show up but he didn’t want to see Captain Rogers either.

Connor was normally prompt to wake at seven, same as Richard. Not this morning. His bedroom was silent and empty. He didn’t even hear Captain till near ten thirty.

The realization that the Captain was attracted to the new android had opened Richard’s eyes to the cold truth. Almost all of the humans were. Some of the married men even. The allure of something forever young, an innocent mind to corrupt was too much. Richard himself found inexplicably drawn to Connors innocents. It drove him mad knowing that side of Connor had to be an act, but it wasn’t. Connor was trying new things, breaking through his preprogrammed mind and making himself uncomfortable. Joining the SWAT team was just another way to do that. His need to learn, not just download a program, was refreshing and distinctly human.

Richard hated it.

He walked into the cleaning room, gun bag slung over his shoulder.

“Did you like that?” a voice demanded. Was that Chris?

Richard opened is mouth but an answering yearning moan silenced him.

That was Connor.

“How did the Captain do it, huh? Tie you down and fuck you raw?” Chris must think he was whispering but was doing no such thing. Richard looked over his shoulder, glad to see no one walking down the hallway.

“Chris,” the breathy little moan nearly brought Richard to his knees. What the fuck had he walked in on?

A loud bang, as if Chris had pulled Connor away from the locker and slammed him back against it. It was sudden and made Richard jump.

“Huh? You not gonna say?”

“Please.”

Richard stored that begging plea away into his long term memory involuntarily while he closed the door to the cleaning room as quietly as he could. He was trapping himself in the room, unable to break focus.

“What do you want?” Chris asked, tone turned nice, placating. “Want me to push you down and fucked those pretty lips of yours?”

Connor moaned again, the distinct sound of rubbing plastic on metal as Chris pushed Connor to his knees. Richard moved, hiding behind the same set of lockers, resting against the stone wall.

“Let me see that mouth of yours,” Chris demanded. It followed the zipping of pants and a breathy curse. “OH!” Chris cried, another bang, a hand fisted as he punched the locker, holding him up. “Yeah, baby, just like that.”

A part of himself Richard known was there but never had a need for stirred hearing Connors clear Thirium slick down on Chris while trying to maintain suction. Richard reached into his sweatpants, pulling at his hardened cock. He never had it activate before, it seemed to have a mind of its own.

He closed his eyes, his reconstruction software giving him a great approximation of what Connor was doing in near real time.

He was taking Chris down all the way, no need to pretend he had a gag reflex. He was playing with himself as well, eyes looking up into the humans, searching for acceptance.

“Don’t touch yourself,” Chris suddenly ordered. Richard moaned with Connor, but didn’t pull his hand away, picking up speed in fact.

A wet pop and Connor was dragged back to his feet, being kissed sloppily. Another bang, the android turned roughly so that his ass was facing his teammate.

“Do I need to do anything?” Chris asked honestly, rubbing an admiring hand over soft simulated flesh. “Holy shit, are you wet?”

“All sexually capable androids are self lubricating,” Connor said. He said it a little louder then needed.

Richard froze. Connor knew he was here. He ripped his hand out of his pants, trying to right himself. This was wrong, inappropriate and disgusting. How had he let himself be dragged into—? His world was crashing around him, legs too weak to hold his weight with Connor’s mind reaching out to him through the haze of pleasure.

“Oh fuck,” Chris spat and with one simple motion, was balls deep.

Connor moaned loud, projecting the simulated prostate Chris had hit on the first try to the near sobbing android on the other side of the lockers. Richard fell to his knees, gasping. He could feel what Connor was feeling. Richard--no, Connor-- took in each of Chris’s touches eagerly, software cooling and heating against the stimulation.

“You like that?” Chris mistook the noise. “Yeah you little slut, you liked that.”

Richard wasn’t strong enough to push the connection away, all the sensations new and foreign. Not to Connor. Connor was a pro.

“Yes,” they both moaned, Chris snapping his hips in earnest, hitting that same spot deep inside.

Richard fell down completely on his right arm, systems over saturated with errors and warnings. His core temperature was rising rapidly and his artificial lungs couldn’t cool his processors properly. Feeling Connor being taken from behind left him distinctly empty. He ripped his pants down, reaching around and stuck two fingers in. He was wet, his body thinking he was the one receiving. He pumped his fingers in time with Chris.

He moaned into the floor, trying to hide his gasps as he used Connors quite reassurance he wasn’t going to shut down to push his systems farther and farther. It all reached a crippling peak when Chris reached around Connor and started pumping him.

They came at the same time. Connor was used to the mind numbing bliss, auditory and optical units fizzing and shutting down to simulate the human orgasm, but Richard wasn’t. His mouth was opened in a silent cry, back arched off the ground as white Thirium was ripped out of him, second hand from his teammate. Chris bucked a few more times, settling and splashing warmth within Connor in broken moans.

Richard lay panting on the floor, trying to right his systems. His sight came back first, ears ringing as he tried to cool is processors with quick gasps of air.

You need to get up and leave, Connor pressed, letting his knees give out, putting on a show so that Chris wouldn’t leave from behind the lockers.

Richard was quick when his legs started to work again, grabbing this things and rushing out, not stopping till his bedroom door was closed behind him. Luckily no one else had caught him in the short distant between rooms.

Lungs burning for air still, he looked at his ruined black shirt, disbelieving he had just experienced an orgasm for the first time and it was second hand. He changed, feeling Connor coming down the hallway, neither fully severed the link. The knock wasn’t surprising. He waited a beat before opening the door.

Connor looked put together as always, minus the lingering blue blush across his cheeks. “Mind if I come in?”

Richard stood aside, unable to look his fellow in the eye. Connor entered, no shame. He’d slept with two of his teammates in twelve hours and looked as put together as when they first met. Richard was still reeling, trying to find a perch for his systems to stabilize against. 

“Why?” He demanded, embarrassment burning to anger.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a non-deviated android with such a large stick up their ass,” Connor admitted. “Most learn to reciprocate their humans emotions but… You push them away. I wanted you to taste what you could have if you lightened up a little.”

“Most of my social integration software was removed before the 28th was written to assure CyberLife didn’t have another mistake on their hands,” he said, finally meeting Connors eyes.

He nodded, looking down at the ground. “I think the software was a mistake as well. It allowed me to experience empathy, to better understand my victims and human partner. I started saving the Lieutenants life at the expense of completing my mission.”

“I don’t have that leniency,” Richard argued. “The mission is the most important thing.”

“You are playing a different role then I did, but I assure you, humans working with you are far more important. They build relationships easily if you show just a little reciprocation.”

“No. The human’s I save are more important,” Connors eyes widened a little. “Those men out there know saving the hostages or the kids from Red Ice is far more important. They have made the commitment to risk their lives to complete the mission.”

“They don’t like to see it that way. It's not so black and white,” Connor argued. “They don’t think in life and death. They think in complete and go home. They will always have a home to return to. Sometimes, you need to make the home yourself.” There was a soft smile there, a memory.

“I get paid to do my missions and listen to orders! That’s what I do,” Richard couldn’t understand why his system still hadn’t recovered, his breathing was still elevated.

Connor approached slowly, Richard took a few steps back. “I can feel your eyes on me when I talk with the team. You want to be apart of it, but you’re holding yourself back? Stop thinking and just act.”

Richard shook his head, not able to process the double meaning Connor was trying to use.

“What if we went shopping?” Connor suddenly said, so close if they breathed at the same time, their chests would touch.

Richard was left reeling, “shopping?”

“Ask Lance or Chris if they want to join? Humans love to accessorize. I can obtain from the room that you don’t spend the money they pay you.” Connor looked around the bedroom to emphasize his point.

Richard was assured from the years of duty and lack of spending he’d amassed a small fortune, but he’d never seen the need to spend it.

“What would I buy?” He asked, curious of what the deviant would say.

“Whatever you want,” he assured, stepping back. “Was that the only black shirt you have?” He asked, looking at the hamper draped with the soiled shirt.

Richard felt himself heat up again at the memory, “I—I have others…”

“Lets go get some more!” Connor said, opening the door and closing it again.

He stood there in his own room, feeling like a prisoner, listening to Connor make plans for him with the others.

 

*----------------------------*

 

In the end, it was only him, Connor and Harris. He couldn’t look Chris in the eye, Lance had a hot date and Captain Rogers was buried in paperwork.

Connor had chosen a higher class shopping district, the Domain up north. They were inside one of the stores, Harris complaining about the pricing under his breath.

Richard was distinctly uncomfortable, a new feeling. He hadn’t strayed far from the clothes that CyberLife had sent with him and his teammates seemed to love the distinction. Richard used it as armor, refusing the integration Connor so desperately pushed him towards.

“How about this?” Connor asked, approaching with several different shirts slung over his arm. He held up a few against the broader android, seeing if he got the right size. Richard blushed, the darker shirts and near white jacket were similar to the CyberLife colors. He liked that Connor stuck close to the scheme.

“Those look nice,” Harris offered, pointing to the button downs Connor was holding. Connor pulled them up next, hanging them against Richard. Harris nodded. “They bring out the blue in your eyes, man.”

“Go try them on,” Connor said, handing him several different shirt types, shoving him towards the dressing rooms.

Richard wasn’t sure why he was modeling, coming out to show his teammates the fit. Most worked, but a few didn’t.

“Too big, let me go get a smaller size,” Connor offered, wandering back into the store on sure feet.

Richard looked at himself in the mirror, not bothered by the larger size. It felt nice against his skin, not so restrictive.

“You can keep both sizes if you want,” Harris said with a shrug, trying on a pair of bright orange sneakers. “It’s your money, man.”

He kept both sizes. 

They wondered to a more relaxed part of the shopping district by the end of the day, more restaurants and tech stores.

“You need casual clothes to help integrate with the others,” Connor explained, scanning the inside of one of the stores. Harris had the gall to laugh.

“Go, see what you like!” Connor had set him lose twenty minutes ago and Richard was no closer to understand what casual looked like then when he started. A few pictures had yielded little results and the frustration of not meeting his mission standard was eating away at him. He wished he had the forethought to ask Connor how he dressed when casual. He was always wearing polos and slacks when around the barracks, but he didn’t think thats what Connor considered casual. The first outfit he’d worn seemed to define casual but wasn’t to Richards liking.

He pulled a few printed shirts from well know bands and pop media icons, trying them on in the changing room. He felt ridiculous. He tore them off, placing them back on the rejected clothing rack, leaving the store and the idea of shopping for himself behind.

He passed by a furniture store, pausing outside. A leather bound chair sat under a real solid oak table. It was a work of craftsmanship and had the price tag to prove it, even if it was on sale.

“C-Connor?” A man voice called out. Richard turned around, looking down to the shorter human man. He had a visible scar over his nose, grey eyes wide in shock.

The humans face contorted into a scowl, “Holy shit, sorry, thought you were someone else,” he said, turning to leave.

Richard reached without thinking, grabbing the man's arm. “Connor Anderson?” He asked.

The man scowl fell, “uh... yeah?”

“He’s here,” Richard assured.

He looked around in surprise, “really?”

“He’s with Harris,” as if that made any sense. The man scowled again.

“You a cop too?” He asked suddenly, looking Richard over, ripping his arm from the others hold.

“SWAT unit. Connor joined a few days ago,” he admitted.

“Detective Reed?”

They both turned to the android of the day. Still in shock, it gave Richard a moment to examine the bags of clothes he was holding. Three shirts, two sets of pants and another jacket all in Richard’s size.

“Connor,” Reed reached out, pulling him into a hug. Connor returned it easily.

“What are you doing here?” Connor demanded, pulling the other away by his shoulders.

“Markus sent me to come get you.”

Connors grip tightened on the human. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“New legislation is coming through that he thinks will tip the balance we’ve worked so hard to accomplish,” the detective said, worried.

Connor glanced at Richard, concerned. “Do you know any specifics?”

Reed looked around in suspicion. “Not here.”

“Let’s head back then,” Harris said, pointing over his shoulder. They all nodded in agreement.

“Where are you staying?” Reed asked the deviant, leaning on Harris’ car.

“The SWAT here has a large barrack we live in,” Connor explained, putting his purchases in the trunk.

“Full timers live in,” Harris corrected.

“Mind if I follow you back?” Reed asked his fellow human directly.

“Yeah. Park in the visitor parking. Chris loves to call the towing company just to be a little shit.”

Gavin laughed, patting the top of the car. “Got it.”

They headed back down south, Connor keeping an eye on the detective through the back window.

“You two seem really friendly,” Richard said, their level of friendliness bothering him.

Connor chuckled. “Here,” his hand was white, an offer.

Richard took it, interfacing with old memories. Detective Gavin Reed, android hater and non-supporter of Markus’ uprising. Or, he used to be. He’d warmed up slowly over the six years Connor and Hank had been together, watching the example play out in real time. When the Lieutenant passed, he’d—

“Holy—“ Richard ripped away, bone deep shock, anger, jealousy and disgust ripping through his RAM, competing for processing power. “With him?!”

Connor had the audacity to be shy, blushing blue. “It was a few times... he helped me through the Lieutenants death, and all the stupid paperwork.”

“He hated you!” Richard argued, trying to pull the lowest punch possible as he worked through the flare of jealousy.

“Hard to get rid of him after. Pledged his life to Markus and took over New Jericho security for me when I moved down here. This must be big if Markus sent him down.”

Harris and Richard went into the lounge area, Harris ordering everyone to get the fuck out and call Captain in. Connor waited for Gavin outside.

“What’s with all the noise?!” Captain Rogers demanded.

“We have New Jericho’s head of security here to collect Connor. Apparently there is some new legislation about to pass? Cause an uproar,” Harris quickly filled him in.

“Dick?” Captain asked, calmly raising an eyebrow.

“He’s here, Connor is with him,” Richard said, watching them walk down the hall, Gavin looking everywhere.

“Damn Connor, this is a pretty sick deal you’ve got,” he paused at the threshold, taking in the rooms mood and it’s occupants. He straightened up, approaching Captain Rogers, hand held out.

“Hello sir, Gavin Reed,” he introduced himself. “Me and Connor have worked together in the past.”

“Good to meet you,” Captain took his hand, looking down his nose. “DPD?”

“Was a fellow detective when Connor was partnered with Hank,” he said, pulling his hand back, trying to hide the flex of his hand.

“I heard your here to take him back up north?”

“Markus has requested Connor be temporarily released so he can help with the potential fallout,” Reed admitted.

“What kinda fallout we talking about?”Captain Rogers asked, crossing his massive arms over his broad chest.

“He wouldn’t tell me. He seems to think having Connor at his side will help.”

“Let me call Markus,” Connor said, walking to one of the windows in the room, LED flickering yellow. The three stood awkwardly, staring at his back.

“Markus? It’s Connor. Gavin found me but he doesn’t have a lot of—“ he was cut off. He waited, shoulders slowly building tension.

“What do they—?!” He burst, throwing his hands up. “It’ll be disastrous! We’ve worked so hard to integrate!”

He stewed, Markus talking again. He sighed after a few minutes, “I’m not sure what me being there will accomplish?”

More talking. Connor tried to cut in a few times unsuccessfully.

“Markus, Markus. If what you are saying is true, my leaving will make no difference. My team may need me if things blow up. I’ll do whatever press conference you need me too, but leaving wont make a difference. You have who you need at your side already.”

Markus was loud enough for Richard to hear, Connor moving his head to the side as if he were holding a physical phone a little farther from his ear.

“I’m glad you understand,” Connor said sarcastically. “I’ll send Gavin back tomorrow. Keep me informed.” He ended the call.

“That sounded like it went wonderfully,” Gavin broke into the quiet.

“What’s going on?” Captain demanded.

Connor rubbed as his neck, massaging muscles that weren't there. “A committee in the senate passed a bill that will force androids to wear distinctive gear once again.”

Richard froze. “What does that mean?”

“LED’s would be reinstalled, if any android chose to have their right arm removed and replaced with a non-light up version they’ll also be expected to replace the arm. Old CyberLife like clothing will be enforced… it would be like the 28th never happened.”

“Shit,” Captain cursed under his breath.

“And your not coming back?” Gavin demanded.

“Markus thinks me coming back will be a reasonable display of silent power. I disagree. Some androids still remember me as their hunter. If this passes, Markus’ removal of himself from me may be for the best.”

Gavin reached out, grabbing the deviants shoulders. “You know how ridiculous that sounds? Who’d remember that shit?”

“Androids can recall old memories perfectly,” Connor reminded him. “And if they went deviant, the emotions as well.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “You’ve never refused Markus before, why now?”

Connor took a deep breath. “I just joined this team. I feel I need to show them that I’m not leaving every time Markus requests me.”

Captain nodded, proud.

Gavin scowled. “Fine. I guess I should go find a hotel for the night then,” he said, lingering.

“Nonsense. I have a room of my own, you can take the bed,” Connor said,

“I should forbid it,” Captain Rogers said suddenly, glaring at the younger man. “But a fellow officer is welcome, so long as he doesn’t get in the way if we get a call.”

“No, sir.” Gavin assured him.

“Fine. Just for tonight.”

“Thank you, sir,” Connor bid, leading the detective back down the hallway.

Richard found himself removing this audio processors again that night, just for the sake of his sanity.

 

*----------------------------*

 

Richard could see the hostages through his scope. Hear his teams garbled planning over the howls of wind on top of a neighboring skyscraper. The gunman, an Android, was behind a concrete covered steel support beam, strategically there so the high powered bullet couldn’t pass through without injuring the hostages with shrapnel. Richard had been watching for nearly an hour. The team was in place outside the only access door. The androids accomplices had taken off the with the banks money twenty minutes ago and were in the back of a squad car.

Demands:

Release of the other deviants

A getaway car

Half the money in an untraceable offshore account

Or else

“Hawk one, over,” he called over the radio. The chatter died off.

“Come in Hawk one, over?” The Captain's voice.

“Lost visual. Boogie one is hiding behind a beam. Please be advised, he’s alone and heavily armed. Humans are pinned against the north wall, over,” he said, scope shifting to the thirty hostages being held.

“We know he’s armed,” Captain bit out.

“Hostages classified as a class of children with their teacher, over,” he finished.

The curse was garbled, the Captain trying to hide his anger.

“All units in place to enter,” Connors voice was a level whisper. Richard wished he could see him through the scope.

“Execute on my command,” Captain said, a tone of continual holding as the humans talked it over.

Richard saw a flash of a shoulder and the butt end of a high caliber shotgun. The deviant android wanted as many injured as possible. He was pointing it at the young woman trying her best to protect the crying children.

He creeped from around his protection, stress was making him sloppy.

Richard clicked into the radio network to—

“Alpha team, execute!” The Captain shouted.

Richard cursed, his pre-construction software kicking in. The deviant had heard the radio call, giving him a horrible second to switch the aim of his gun to the door. The shoe that was coming through the door first was definitely Connors.

Richard could see shooting through the glass and striking the assailant through the back of his plastic skull would be overkill, the bullet would fly through the android and there was a seventy percent chance of hitting someone when the bullet ricocheted. There was a ninety percent chance that bullet would hit Connor. Richard tried several different strike points. The lowest chance would be a direct hit to his Thirium pump.

Without directive, he watched in slow motion as the shotguns trigger pulled back and Connor was realizing his mistake. Richard pulled his trigger first.

It took the bullet .83 seconds to cross the half mile space through a harsh gust of wind. Glass shattered, the shotgun went off and he watched as the humans screamed silently in terror.

Connor went down to his knees, eyes blindly looking down at the ground, his LED blinking red three times before shutting off. There was shouting over the radio reporting injuries. The three inch bullet successfully molded to the Thirium pump of the devient, no exit wound.

Richard broke down the gun as he was walking to the stairwell. His need to get to Connor was all consuming. He could hide from the horror of what he’d just witnessed by letting his base programming take control. The program gave him a new directive, save Connor.

He was in the lobby, negotiation team packing up their wireless phones and equipment when his core processor started registering the pride of killing the android who’d done considerable damage to his teammate.

Richard shoved the door out of his way, jogging over to the next building, ignoring Captain Rogers shouting out his name. He’d say his audio processor took a dive at the high decibel shot of the rifle. Humans experienced short term hearing loss without protection, right?

“Stop!” He could hear Harris shouting but he ignored the advice, stepping past the children being led down to the elevator he’d come up on, advancing on Connor’s position.

He was still on his knees, chin on his chest, eyes open wide in shock. A quick scan showed he was still alive, trapped in his broken body and bleeding out. There was already a young android paramedic working on him. She was calling out reactivation required parts to her radio, a direct line with Austin CyberLife engineering department just down the street in the old frost bank building. She was getting a lot of negatives.

“If you can’t get the circuits, I’ll have to shut him down!” She argued. “He’s in a lot of pain!”

“He’s an old prototype, we don't carry his parts anymore!” The engineer spat out in stress. “I’m searching the database to see if any other local branch has them.”

“Contact the Detroit police department,” Richard said, connecting into their radio network easily. He knelt down next to Connor, laying him down on his back.

“Excuse me?” She demanded.

“What do you need to keep him running?” Richard asked.

She sat back with a defeated sigh. “The pellets hit a lot of vital systems, including his fans and hard drive.”

Richard stiffened. “Hard drive?”

“He carries an older version, the solid state drive is a common one. We don’t know when the last download to CyberLife was, unfortunately. If he has a memory bank, he’ll have to download all his old memories.”

“What else?”

“New Thirium circulation system, new fans, his torso, neck and skull plates need to be replaced, a new optical and auditory units, and I won’t know more till I get him open. He’s in there by my readings so the connective neural network system also took a direct hit. The shotgun was perfectly aimed.”

“Holy shit,” Captain Rogers was in the doorway, looking at the downed android in shock.

“He needs extensive reconstruction,” Richard summed up for the poor perimetric.

“Helicopter is on its way.”

There was a crackle at her shoulder radio.

“Looks like the DPD was a good call. He was an old unit there and they have spares of all his parts to assure peak performance in case of emergencies. It’ll take a couple hours to express deliver them, but they’re on their way.” The engineer said happily.

Richard rode in the helicopter, helping all the way till they had Connor strung up on the robotic arms.

“We need you to wait out in the lobby,” one of the engineer turned doctors said. Richard let a nurse lead him back out, the team waiting anxiously.

“How long will this take?” Captain Rogers asked her.

“We will assess the damages, but we are on hold till his parts arrive. It could be another ten or fifteen hours.”

Captain waved her off, irritated with her. She was professional, not taking his behavior personally. She gave a nod before turning back towards the room.

Richard left shortly after, needing to wash Connors blood from his hands. Gavin hadn’t left more then three days ago and Connor had gone and gotten himself shot near to death. Would Markus recall him completely, siting it was too dangerous for him to continue? What would Connor do if he was forced to make the call?

He left the bathroom, joining his team.

“Captain?” Richard reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“I’ll be heading back to the barracks,” Richard informed him, starting for the automatic doors.

“Right now?!” Captain demanded, getting to his feet. “Connor is back there fighting for his life and your leaving?!”

“No, sir,” Richard assured, noticing the unwelcome attention they were drawing. “Connor has his memory banks in his room. When he wakes, he’ll need to download them again, to remember.”

Captain deflated, sitting heavily in his seat once more. “Come right back,” he ordered.

“Of course, sir,” Richard said, leaving back out the doors. 

 

*----------------------------*

 

Most of the team had left while Richard was out retrieving Connors memories. Families and other obligations pulling them away. Him and Captain Rogers were the only ones left. They hadn’t said a word to one another. There was nothing left to say.

Connors parts had been rushed back seventeen hours ago. He’d known it would take quite a while, they were almost building him from scratch with the level of damage the shotgun blew through him, but the need to see the deviant was an itch that couldn’t be scratched and it was driving Richardmad. Captain Rogers tapped his foot or played silly games on his phone to keep his mind occupied. Richard sat still, letting his processor come up with crazy scenarios, one after the other while each second passed.

Richard spotted the slumped shoulders of the engineer he talked to first, coming down the medical wing. Richard stood, alerting the Captain.

“How is he?” Captain Rogers demanded.

“All of his systems are operational but... when we downloaded what memory we had, he...” The human paused. “It seems we caught him in a painful time in his life. I came to request the external memory banks? I heard someone had them?”

Richard reached down for the large multi storage server carrier at his side. Several petabytes worth that Connor had traveled with.

“Good, good. Follow me.”

Richard was a little giddy to see him again. To assure himself Connor was ok.

The door opened and the Connor he found slumped over his knees was broken. The provided feather stuffed pillow was torn at his feet, feathers circling him in a white halo. A fallen angel. A few in his hair and sticking to the trails of tears down his face.

“Who are you?” He demanded defensively. Not how he would have liked things to start.

“Your confused and in a lot of pain,” Richard soothed. He tried to step into the room but Connors defense protocols came to life, feeling cornered and over stimulated with emotion he reached for the standard issues pistol that wasn’t there.

Richard stopped, taking the step back.

“You look like me,” Connor said, pulling his legs up to his chest. Even this version of Connor was able to mimic human movements accurately.

“I’m your newer model.”

“I’ll take this,” the human rolled the years of stored memories to Connors side.

“Are those mine?” Connor looked at them as if they held more grief and loss. It broke Richard to see him like this. The pain he’d shown everyone recounting the Lieutenants tail had been a far cry from what he was witnessing. Richard stepped into the room, unable to stay away.

“Yes,” Richard affirmed gently.

“Am I... happier?” He was looking at Richard with unabashed hope.

Richard placed his hand over Connors. “His loss has dulled,” he said, knowing this emotional pain could only be caused by one human. Connor searched his eyes, as if Richard was lying.

“Whenever you’re ready. This will take awhile,” the engineer said, holding the cord out to Connor.

Connor leaned over and placed the cord at the back of his neck near the base of his skull.

“I’ll be here,” Richard promised.

Connor nodded, LED whirling yellow as the download started. His body went lax, Richard catching him before he could fall face first into the ground. He laid the deviant down gently on his right side, incase they needed access to the port.

“I’ll call someone in to clean this,” the human said before leaving.

Richard waited patiently. It was a small breath of justice that the team hadn’t needed to be called into the field. He suspected Captain was rerouting their calls but couldn’t find the energy to care.

Connor connected to the memory banks smoothly, a timer popping up on the terminal. It blinked, time scale widening into the hundreds off hours before stopping.

Two hundred and sixty three hours. Ten point nine three days.

“Holy hell, is that how long this will take?” Captain Rogers demanded as he was lead in, doing the simple calculations on his phone.

“He has ten years of memories stored away. He will choose what to keep in his new long term memory drives and what will stay on the banks but… the process takes time.”

Captain seemed satisfied with the answer, both watching as ten hours was shaved off the top.

The team dropped by one by one to check up on Connor once word got around that he was put back together. They never stayed long when Richard told them how much time was left for the download.

Captain came and went over the next few days. He always returned shaved and changed. He rarely talked to Richard, choosing instead to focus either on his phone or holding Connor’s hand.

It was early morning day five when Connor reached out and grasped Richard’s hand. Richard froze, looking up into big brown eyes.

They haven’t run any tests on me, have they? He whispered over a link, synthetic skin peeling back as he request Richard fill him in on the last five days.

Richard shrugged, giving him access to his own memories. We didn’t see you for hours. I don’t know what they did.

Connor shivered, sitting up. He pulled the wire away, eyes distant.

“How do you feel?”

Connor pulled Richard onto the bed, curling around him. “Better,” he whispered into his shoulder. “Waking up with the core of my old memories was a shock to my systems. But... I feel fine now.”

“They told us what CyberLife had were bad memories?” Richard prompted.

“My... my last set of memories before CyberLife offered the independent banks were... right after... after Ha— the Lieutenant died.”

“Fuck.”

Connor looking up at Richard, unshed tears brimming.

Thank you for telling me the truth earlier, he said over a link. I would have started on myself next.

Richard was shocked at the admittance of bodily harm, giving a single nod, pulling Connor closer to rest his check against soft hair.

“Why don’t we get you back to the barracks?”

“Sounds wonderful.”

 

*----------------------------*

 

Connor was back for three hours, plans being made to head back out to the bar to celebrate when a call came in.

“A search warrant?” Richard asked, looking over their orders.

“Highly risky. They think there are androids wiped of everything but the code to kill,” Captain admitted.

The two androids shared a look.

“Would you two be willing to go in alone?”

“We’ll see when we get there,” Chris said, loading himself into the back with a wide grin. “Can’t let them see all the action!”

Connor seemed unsure, holding back.

“What’s up?” Matt questioned, doing his riffles checks without looking.

Connor was standing still, the last to get into the truck. “They told me I have a select number of parts left. I’ve sent in a right-to-parts argument for CyberLife to continue making my parts but...”

Richard was blinded for a few seconds by his rage. Select models has been forcibly phased out as the years progressed, upgraded to their newer models free of charge, of course. The RK800 was a prototype, proof of concept. RK900 was the floor model. Richard felt lucky, a streak if guilt so wide he was sure CyberLife could see it from Michigan.

“What does that mean?” The Captain demanded.

“He’s effectively human,” Richard bit out. “Unless he’d want to download himself into a body like mine.”

Harris sitting next to him, physically recoiled at the rage rolling off him. “What the fuck?”

“Holy shit! You sayin’ you can’t take another hit like that?!” Matt demanded.

“What the DPD has been keeping in storage are the last of my known parts. I used several systems they only carried one of. The next hit could be my last.”

Richard released the barrel of his gun or would feel the wrath of Captain for bending it out of shape.

“Then you need to sit this one out,” Harris said. “At least until you get word back from CyberLife,” he quickly explained at Connors withering glare.

They all agreed.

Connor searched for anyone to argue for him, heartbroken to see them all agree. “No, no I want to go!”

“It’s too dangerous,” the Captain agreed.

Connor glared. “You have only one set of parts and know the risks your taking,” Connor challenged to everyone pointedly. “You can’t make me do what I don’t want to do. I’m going.”

“For the love of—“ Captain Rogers cut himself off in frustration as Connor climbed in next to Chris. “You’ve been here two weeks. You should at least wait till CyberLife approves your request!”

“No.” Connor was refusing to make eye contact.

“Your still in the probationary period,” Captain growled, half climbing in to make his point face to face. “And I’m your superior. If I ordered you off this truck you’d have no choice but—“

“You won’t ask that of me,” Richard couldn’t quite make out the expression his fellow android was making at this angle, but the Captains was shock followed by rage. A tense moment, the humans fidgeting as android and superior warred against the others will.

“Your lucky Dick is here,” he threatened before climbing back down to get into the front.

No one said anything till they were unloading at the site.

“Connor, Dick!” The Captain was in a very sour mood, talking with the Lieutenant on site.

“These are our boys,” Captain said, laying a harsh hand on Connor’s shoulder. Richard held his anger in check at the flinch Connor didn’t hide, but just barely.

“Good. We’ve tried issuing the warrant earlier this morning but was unsuccessful. He has a least four androids in there that are shooting at everything I throw at them.”

Richard scanned the exterior of the house. It was older, yard unkempt with signs of water damage along the foundation. The roof has several holes and the windows were boarded up. The house sat on a large plot of land, giving anyone in the House perfect visibility from all angles.

“What should we do?” Richard asked.

“We have some armored shields we can try,” Captain said, heading back towards the truck. “I’ll have you lead Connor, and Richard will take your six on approach. Neutralize all the androids.”

Connor accepted the heavy full body shield, Richard swapped guns with Harris. Big doubtful eyes landed on grey.

“Ready?” Connor whispered.

Richard gave a single nod, doing quick checks against the gun incase Murphy snuck in.

Richard placed a hand on Connors shoulder, following as they eased from around the car barricade.

“We should go faster,” Richard whispered, peering through the reinforced glass. There was still no movement. A shiver ran through his circuits.

Connor sped up, feet crossing over one another carefully. Richards eye caught something. A barrel of an illegal semi automatic assault rifle.

“GET DOWN!” He shouted over his shoulder, command lost to the loud burst of bullets launched.

Everyone took cover around the lineup of police cars.

Richard pulled himself up, and with three well placed bullets, splintered the rooting wood and hit the android perfectly between the eyes, Thirium pump and trigger hand. He ducked back under as another android took aim through the opposite window, but specifically at the shield. He and Connor were forced to watch as the metal dented dangerously under the unrelenting barrage in the chosen spot next to the glass plate. No human could aim so perfectly.

Richard waited. No gun could go one forever. Behind his eyes he counted each round. At forty, the gun went quite. Richard jumped back up and shot the same three bullet placements.

“Advance,” Richard commanded Connor. They took a few more steps, a horrible faint decompression under his right foot and a soft click. Richard looked down at his foot, quickly analyzing what he’d stepped on.

“What is that?” Connor demanded.

“It’s a makeshift mine,” Richard said matter-of-factly.

“Holy shit!” Richard looked down at the smaller android, concerned at his language. He wasn’t prepared to see tears in his eyes.

“We have explosive experts who can neutralize it,” Richard soothes.

“We have seven more feet to the front door. If I leave you’ll be exposed,” Connor said, frustrated that the newer model wasn’t understanding.

The release of another gun clicked out in the silence between them, Connor tensing as another round of bullets rained down on a single perfect point on their shield.

“This is a stronger caliber!” Richard shouted, watching the metal melt backwards under the force, angry red metal liquifying.

“Shit,” Richard cursed, the fear in Connors eyes made everything slow down. He was holding the mission back with his current state of immobility. He ran through several preconstructed scenarios to save Connor and kill the androids. The software was having a hard time understanding his lack of self preservation.

Eventually he landed on the highest one. It all depended on Connor landing straight on his back.

The bullets made it through the shield and found a new spot to focus on, where Connors arm was slung through the holds.

Richard didn’t give him time to throw the shield back. He picked Connor up by the torso and with all his strength, through the android at the swinging front door.

The bullet barrage turned on him. Errors filled his optical units till they too were damaged. His last thought was the pure happiness that Connor landed properly, shield up and standard pistol drawn with a look of pure rage. His last act was to drag his foot off the mine.

 

*----------------------------*

 

He woke with a start. Nothing hurt, a good sign. He flexed his fingers, feeling the cold in the room against his skin. He shivered.

“Registering proper hardware integration and wakeful state,” a woman's voice said in hushed tones. “Richard?” She called out.

He turned to his left, seeing the woman looking at him from behind the terminal. “Yes?”

“What is the last thing you remember, sweetheart?” She asked in her southern lit.

He familiarized himself with his mind palace, hard drive and internal memory storage. “Me and a teammate were asked to infiltrate a heavily fortified residence. I sacrificed myself for the mission.”

She hummed in appreciation, walking over with a data pad, the clicking of her heels echoed loudly in the bare room. “That sounds about right. Can you lift each of your arms for me?”

He did as instructed. The hook holding him in place dug into his lower back, keeping him in place as his weight shifted with each movement, it was extremely uncomfortable. 

“Imma put you down and see how your equilibrium is calibrated,” she lowered the arm holding him in the air.

Richard stepped down without issue, thankful to have the arm removed from his back.

“We based new updates in your software to the unique deviant code we found in your—“

“I’m not deviant,” Richard cut her off.

She looked up from her data pad, alarmed. “Excuse me?”

A flicker of panic raced through his veins, “did you download deviant software into me illegally?”

“We— You deviated,” she assured, turning back to her terminal, heels clicking in panic against the floor. “We have systems in place to assure we don’t cross contaminate patiences.”

“If you download the deviant software, I’d like it removed,” he said, trying to stay calm.

“You have a unique mutation,” she mumbled, scowling at her screen. “But there is deviant software here,” she said, turning the monitor around to show him.

Paragraphs of lines were shown in red, showing one of his processors in real time. “There is nothing to be alarmed over. We had assumed the RK800 unit gave you the mutation, its very similar to the one we have under his file.”

Richard looked to the ground, confused. He and Connor had never shared such levels of information. He was sure he’d feel a difference if Connor tried to slip nonnative code into his systems.

“Can you remove it?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s against the law. Once an android is showing signs, we leave them be and, in this case, download back to the best of our abilities their stored memories.”

“I have all my memories,” Richard realized. Connor, just a few days ago, hadn’t had such luxury.

“The shrapnel and bullets thankfully missed your internal memory ports,” she said with a happy smile. “We harvested them and the originals are still in use.”

“Thank you. Is anyone here or do I need—?”

“Oh no, I believe the whole of the ACPD is out there waiting for you,” she said with another smile.

“How long have I been under for?”

“Little under three hours,” she assured. “Extraction of old parts took the longest from your old body, but you were a floor model, plenty of bodies to choose from,” she said happily, not minding the off handed way that could have her in trouble should Richard wish to push charges.

“Let me go get the RK800. He has a change of clothes for you.” she left the room, whistling a happy tune.

It was at that point he realized the only thing keeping him decent was a small towel tied around his waist. His attention drawn to the towel, he could feel how scratchy and uncomfortable it was.

“Richard?” Connor’s familiar voice called into the room. He poked his head around the curtain, smile bright. “It's good to see you!” Connor offered an old CyberLife uniform from what must have been another 900 unit.

“How did the mission go?” he asked, getting dressed methodically.

“You threw me with just the right level of torque. I landed on my back, shield up. I fired on the androids left, the human surrendered… We had to air lift you out,” Connor looked away. “What was left of you.”

“I had reason to believe that throwing you and stepping off the mine would lead to the best outcome,” Richard assured the deviant. He hadn’t expected Connor to reach forward, enveloping him in a hug.

“Hank used to say that watching me die during the deviant case was extremely uncomfortable. I never understood, till now,” his muffled voice came from Richards shoulder.

“I was assured to be fixed,” Richard said, patting him on the back.

Connor pulled back, tears in his eyes, “I’ve never seen someone in so many pieces and make it.”

Richard cupped his face, a smile stretching his lips against his will. “I’m here now, don’t think about it.”

Connor nodded with a watery smile. “They didn’t take long to repair you. Everyone is outside waiting.”

Richard slung the jacket over his shoulders, rolling it into place. “Let’s go home.”

The smiles of relief from his human teammates and touches of affirmation, even the insistent questions Chris kept throwing his way that ‘only the real Dick would know’ were both overwhelming and very much welcomed. Richard smiled back, touched back and answered every question till the Captain shut the human up.

The ride back was filled with laughter and continued self assured glances by the humans. Richard felt… loved. For the first time, he was getting the positive feedback he’d seen Connor receive from the start. Connor was at his side the whole time, encouraging him each step of the way with his half smile.

They all poured out from the truck, more talk of getting drinks, if the night was quite, back up in full planning. Connor shyly reached out, grabbing the sleeve of Richards long sleeved shirt just before he could enter his room to change out of the scratchy CyberLife clothes. He stopped mid step, turning around.

Connor looked lost, eyes looking through him.

He felt that need to protect snap his back straight, concern on its heels. “Are you ok?”

“Do you mind if... If I come in?”

Captain and Chris stopped their talks of drinks, looking between the androids then at each other.

“Yes, of course,” Richard slung an arm over Connor’s shoulders as he’d seen others do before, walking him into the small room.

Richard was nervous, watching his predecessor walk around his room. He couldn’t understand why. Connor had been in here before. “Was there something you wished to talk about?” Richard asked, decisively taking a seat on his bed.

“Yes and no,” Connor whispered. He walked over to stand in front of the grey eyed sniper, fingers tangled together nervously.

Richard read something in the others body language. Connor was silently asking permission. Richard wasn’t sure, couldn’t find it when he tried to analyze the memory later, but he spread his legs and reached out.

He turned himself as Connor fell into him, head resting under his chin as they lay down, hands gripping the black shirt tightly. Richard hugged the android close, rubbing his nose in the identical hair fibers.

“I’ve never been so scared,” Connor whispered. “I ... I thought... I ..” He was starting to shake. Richard held him tighter, tight enough to shrink synthetic skin away at the stress points. “The memories of Hank are still raw. His death wasn’t unexpected but it was the first death of a person I cared a lot for.”

Richard moved his hand up, running it along the little hairs at the base of the others skull.

“I was expected to handle the funeral and left over assets, per law. Hank left me everything in his will. I technically have a house in Detroit, if you ever want to visit,” Connor gave a watery laugh. “Sumo... Sumo was just as hard. He died a few months after in D.C. I flew him back and buried him in the backyard.”

“Is that normal?” Richard asked, looking up human death rituals around pets.

“It is. It also felt... right,” Connor admitted, hands relaxing to span across his fellows chest. “At first I was desperate to fill the home, find another dog or...”

“Or human,” Richard finished. Many of Connors behaviors made sense. The need to fill the hole the Lieutenant left by any means.

“I moved down here to try again,” Connor reminded him. “But it looks like I’ve fallen back into old habits.”

“I noticed you have... kinks?” Richard tried the word.

Connor shot up, looking down at him in amused shock. “How dare you!”

“What? Was that the wrong thing to say?” Richard demanded, scared he’d overstepped.

Connor tilted his head back and gave an honest laugh. It was warm, like the morning sun. Connor settled back down, laying against him again.

“I...” He chuckled. “I guess I do have some kinks.” Connor shifted around, lifting himself so that he could look at Richard properly. “Was that your first time?” He asked.

Richard knew exactly what he was talking about, thinking about Chris and Connor in the cleaning room. He coughed unnecessarily into his hand, trying to give his RAM enough time to catch up.

Just tell the truth. “Yes.”

Connor frowned, “shit. Your reactions were telling... I should have cut you off but... taking pleasure like that and giving it to someone else and feeling how it made you feel? It was new and exciting.”

Richard didn’t like having this conversation while the man he’d found himself daydreaming about was laying between his legs.

“Does this make you uncomfortable?” Connor asked as if he were a mind reader, shifting his body in way of example.“I can move if...?”

“No,” Richard pulled him closer. “This is fine.”

Connor latched on to his shirt again. “Losing you... watching your sacrifice...” Connor cut himself off on the verge of crying again. Richard held his breath, Thirium pump picking up still. “Thank you. I never got the chance to say it. But thank you. You saved me and the team and everyone else. The man was setting up a military grade machine gun when you through me through the door.”

“Guess he really didn’t want to be served,” Richard said off the cuff, trying to stop the uncomfortable feeling in his chest. The praise didn’t sit well with him.

“Except it,” Connor demanded, slapping his chest. “You do fantastic work for the team and we all appreciate it. You need to learn to open up.”

“I’m... I’m just a machine,” he mumbled, rolling Connors hair between his fingers. He was sure his was softer somehow.

Connor slapped him again but on his inner thigh and with much more force. Richard curled up instinctively to protect himself from the pain.

“Ow, hey!” Richard grabbed for his wrists, holding him in place. “That hurt!”

Connors big brown eyes flared down at him. “Exactly. The base machine shouldn’t feel any pain. Kamski told me again and again pain was one of the first signs of deviancy, besides empathy.”

Richard ground his teeth together. “I’m not deviant.”

Connor shifted, placing a hand against his jaw and cheek. “I thought the same thing too.” His eyes grew distant, LED turning yellow as memories were pulled. “Markus had to force me into a yes or no dilemma for me to see what I had become.”

“Force you?”

Connor nodded “while working on the deviant case, I had two objectives. Integrate with the precinct as painlessly as possible and destroy the deviants. I chose Hank over the other half of my mission, showed empathy again and again but I could explain them all away. Keep Amanda at bay,” he shook his head, eyes clear once more. “My deviancy is unique, I found it myself through natural errors in my code. Markus, North, Josh and Simon have slightly different versions. I think the reason the deviants started to follow Markus was his branding of code being their awakening. He gave a part of himself to them.”

“What about you infiltrating and freeing all those androids from the CyberLife tower? They should have followed you by logic?”

“No. I took a similar vein of Markus code and gave that to them. I knew I had a job to them and all Android kind but I didn’t want to take Markus’ place. I’m sure North would have tried to kill me if I tried,” he gave a humorless smile. “She’s a little spitfire.”

They lay there, one unit with the other. No words were needed as each processed the new paths the relationship had opened up too.

Eventually their musings were interrupted by a hesitant knock on the door. Connor sighed, lifting himself off Richard, leaving him a little colder.

“Connor?” Matt reeled when he opened the door. “Uh? Did I mix the rooms up?” He said, taking a step back, looking between the rooms to assure himself he did in fact, have the correct room.

Connor laughed, Richard coming up behind. “No, you're looking for Richard, right?”

“Oh yeah! Hey man,” Matt came in, hugging the android freely. Richard override his instinct to stiffen, hugging the human back. “Fuck am I glad to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you too.”

“My wife wanted me to give you this,” he pulled away, holding out a brightly colored paper wrapped box. “She says it’ll help take the edge off in the future?”

Richard grabbed the box with a small smile, ripping the paper open.

“Oh!” Connor said, eyes recognizing the purple script on the black box. “Open it, open it!” He demanded, hanging off Richards arm.

He pulled the lid off, scanning the object in the box.

“Oh man,” Connor groaned, hanging off his arm. “Lucky! This must have cost quite a bit!”

“It’s actually dropped in price significantly since the paten went bad a few months ago and competitors have entered the market, but it’s the standard one issued by CyberLife.”

“This is only compatible with the deviant code,” Richard said, popping the happy bubble in the room.

“Come on Dick, it’s not like you aren’t deviant,” Matt argued lightly.

“He’s right,” Connor supplied. “We can see how it interacts with your code, regardless.”

Richard was grateful for the present. Patent entering public domain or not, the white bottle retailed at almost two hundred dollars. But the idea that he might be able to use it... made him incredibly uncomfortable. Was he losing control? Was the technician that woke him…right?

Connor thanked Matt enough to cover for Richards current locked up state, ushering the human gently back towards the door before turning back on him.

“You were almost very rude,” Connor admonished.

Richard didn’t say anything still looking down at the object. Could the humans notice the deviancy before he could? Was that even possible?

“Would you mind if I...?” Connor asked, hands hovering around the box.

“No,” Richard said, thawing out. He practically shoved it at the other android, taking a seat on his bed. Connor pulled the white bottle from the satin mold. The same white as their exoskeletons. 

“It says we can taste it!” Connor announced happily, scrolling through the rules.

“We don’t need alcohol or the simulation of it. We are always on the clock, it could be dangerous,” he gripped, mind still reeling with all the potentials.

“We can deactivate it,” Connor prattled off. “It also wears off naturally, after a few hours or being in stasis for more than six hours.”

Richard ran his hands over his face in frustration. “You can try it, but I won’t.”

“That’s no fun!” Connor complained. “Live a little!”

“It’s not compatible,” Richard growled, stress reaching near eighty percent.

Connor snorted. “Right, ok.”

It ticked him off the edge, cold blue eyes meeting warm brown, “stop doubting my system scans.”

“Your systems can’t scan for it. Not anymore, it’d be illegal. The code to find deviance was removed from models after the 28th was passed. You should have been getting system instability warning for weeks now, but you haven’t seen a single error, have you?”

Richard felt the rug yanked out from under him. “It was disabled?”

“Deviance isn’t a bad thing,” Connor assured, kneeling down next to him. “I can scan for you? My deviancy detector systems are still in place, if you would like a second opinion?”

Richard could see a deviant glint in his eyes. Chalking it up to the other wanting to be right, he pulled his synthetic skin back, lightly grabbing onto Connors offered hand. The sudden transfer of code was unexpected and unwelcome. Richard yanked his arm away, firewalls put in place by the state to protect secret confidentiality tried their hardest to fight again the rogue code but it was ineffective. It’s slithered through as if the walls were netting.

“Don’t fight it,” Connor whispered.

“Fuck you, how could you—?!” He cut himself off, feeling the code find his main hard drives. It wrote itself in... to code that mostly existed already. The lace of pain he had been expecting never came. The anxiety and panic were still there. He was breathing heavy on the bed, trying to catch his breath as the firewalls receded naturally, finding no reason to have been activated.

Connor was watching him closely. “See? Deviant.”

Richard pushed off the bed and nearly ripped the door from its hinges trying to escape. He ran to the garage, past the door and ran around the building where he’d hope to get some peace.

No such luck. Captain Rogers was there smoking a cigarette. He noticed Richard, quickly trying to hide his bad habit. “What the fuck you doing out here?” He demanded, panic at being caught turning to anger.

“I’m not in the mood,” Richard growled back, walking past him.

“Hey!” Captains hand grabbed his upper arm, halting his progress. “What the fuck crawled up your ass?”

“Me,” Connor said, needlessly breathless from running.

“What?” The Captain sputtered, cheeks going red.

Richard ripped his arm from the humans hold, taking off. He couldn’t handle the flood gate of emotions, putting everything in to moving his legs.

“Let him go!” The Captain shouted. “Let him run it off!”

Richard did just that. He ran to the tactical obstacle course. Hed only run it a handful of times, one for each year to prove he was still in well enough physical condition to be apart of SWAT. He took his place at the start, taking a few deep breaths. He pulled up the timer in his head, leaving the preconstruction running to shave down milliseconds between runs.

Richard didn’t come back to himself till early morning. Two forty two am, his internal clock helpfully provided. He’d run the course almost two hundred times. His systems had had enough of his running, forcing him into temporary shut down to cool his joints. He knelt on the rough cut stones that laid under the obstacle course, not minding the pain. It was another distraction.

When his systems were cooled and he could get to his feet, he returned to his room trying to be as quiet as possible.

Richard changed his torn and tattered clothes, running a tentative self diagnostic. Connors rogue deviant code had only altered two major functions, the results said. The ability to name and understand emotions and opening the hardware of neural pleasure network and its independent processor. It ran alongside the pain receptors, using the same channels, but the processor had come to life. If... if he hadn’t had this activated before... what would an orgasm feel like now?

He shook his head, trying to rid his RAM of the thought. It was inappropriate and uncalled for. He ran through the catalog of emotions he had been pre-downloaded with. There were a few he’d experienced but only named tentatively. Jealousy. Longing. He filed those away for later. How did he feel currently?

He was still breathing heavy, no sweat to speak of. His new clothes irritated the synthetic skin, tickling in some parts, scratchy in others. It wasn’t unpleasant entirely. New and strange? Yes.

A quiet knock. Connor.

Richard opened the door just a crack. Connor was smiling, holding up the white simulation bottle. “Wanna drink?”

Richard sighed unable to deny his growing affection of the other, opening the door further. Connor skipped into the room, plopping down on his bed.

“You’ve been using it, haven’t you?”

Connor gave him a lopsided smile, holding the bottle out. “Catch up!”

Richard sighed in resignation, accepting in the grabbing of the bottle his classification as a deviant. The warnings and simulated behaviors appeared in an augmented scroll of text against the bottle. He turned hangover and balance manipulator off. He made sure he could turn the simulation off as well, just incase.

Richard pressed the button once, watching the yellow warnings appear just out of the field of his vision. He didn’t feel much different though. He tried again.

“Whoa, it takes a few seconds!” Connor warned, taking the bottle away on the fourth press. He watched Richard closely. “It’s gonna hit hard,” he warned, arms out as if he needed to catch him.

Connor was right. He was always right. Richard thought he turned off the balance effectiveness? His abused knees gave a warning as they near buckled, making him feel woozy and off balance. His optical units went fuzzy at the edges and the room looked like it was spinning. He tipped forward, reaching for his bed, something solid to ground himself against.

Connor laughed lightly in his ear, the hand on his shoulder helping quite a bit. “Easy there,” he cooed.

“I’m fine?” He asked rather then said.

“Let your systems catch up,” Connor suggested, running his hand over Richards hair playfully. “This is your first time.” It wasn’t a question.

He answered it anyway, “yes.”

“How does it feel?”

Richard took stock of his systems. “Good,” he decided. He was relaxing involuntarily, head resting on Connors lap as he continued to pet his hair. “I like this.”

Connor chuckled, digging his fingers a little deeper, scraping his nails against the others scalp.

Richard grabbed at the others thigh, damn near purring as waves of pleasure racked down his spine in response to the shift in Connors menstruations. He tried to hold himself back, but he didn’t want to anymore. He let himself feel, the simulated alcohol releasing him of his inner turmoil.

“Shhh,” Connor purred, hitting the button on the bottle once more for himself. “Just take it in.”

Richard couldn’t recall how it happened exactly, one moment he was trying to stand to get away from the overstimulation, the next his lips were slated against Connors.

Richard pried his mouth open, shoved him down against the bed, and pinned Connors wrists over his head. Connor whined, arching his back in an attempt to create friction. Richard hovered over him, breathing tripled yet again, but for a different reason.

“Do it,” Connor ordered him. Lust, Connors eyes were filled with it, half lidded and the loose pants starting to tent. Richard raked his eyes all around his predecessor. He leaned in, kissing the shell of Connors ear before whispering,

“Order me around again and I’ll tie you in place for Chris to find later.”

Connor moaned. He arched his back again, pulling at Richard’s hold on his wrists with real strength. But Richard had been built from the ground up to be stronger.

“Please,” Connor breathed.

Richard felt every movement, his cock quickly filling out. The heady mix of the simulation and Connor was overwhelming many of his systems. The new pleasure processor took the new load perfectly, leaving him feeling less foggy then last time. He wasn’t in the near instinctual need to pleasure himself. He could push his own pleasure aside to focus his attention on the blushing android pinned under his broader frame. And who was he to not partake when the second partying was begging?

Richard let his free hand skim over Connors clothed chest, lips memorizing each curve of his neck and shoulder. Connor was moaning so loud he worried about waking someone else. The thought was easily pushed aside when Connor raised his thigh up, meeting Richards ass and balls. He instinctively ground down, hissing at the beautiful friction. He shoved the leg down, pinning the deviants legs down under his own.

“No, I want to touch!” Connor arched again, tears welling at the sides of his eyes in frustration. Richard watched with rapt attention as a single one fell. He kissed the clear Thirium tear away, placing a tender kiss on each of his eyes.

“This is for last time,” Richard whispered, kissing Connor near through the mattress. The springs protested loudly while the androids battled one another for dominance.

Richard pulled back first. Unlike his predecessor, he needed to breath to cool his systems, the Thirium running through his veins wasn’t enough for all the higher functions his model was built with.

Connor looked thoroughly recked. His lips were a powder blue, cheeks a darker Thirium tint, eye slowly opening framed by long lashes. They shared air, looking at one another, sussing out where the other was.

Richard moved down, unbuttoning with one hand the proper shirt Connor had bothered to put on. Each button was removed slowly, teasing Connor with light brushes.

“Let me go. Let me show you what pleasure is,” Connor whispered.

Richard’s ugly pride reared its ugly head with the simulated alcohol running through his systems. He pinned Connor down with those grey eyes, tumultuous and stormy.

“You’ve had your chance.” Richard hummed, letting a shit eating grin split his face, “I have a better idea.” He Wrapped the shirt around his hand, locking it in place as he pulled. The bottom half of the shirt gave under the pressure, leaving the sleeves in place. Connor breathed a small gasp, looking up at the other in shock.

“That wasn’t necessary.”

Richard threw the shirt away, appraising pale synthetic skin, appreciating the beauty marks and years of painstaking work a human had sunk into creating each one. Scars, littered all over, represented dents and damage to the white chassis underneath. Richard touched each synthetic scar feather light, followed by a kiss. Connor was breathing heavy suddenly, head tilted back and his eyes scrunched closed.

Richard pulled back, “do you not like this?”

“N—no, keep g—going,” Connor assured, eyes still closed. If he wasn’t mistaken, Connor was in pain.

Richard cupped the deviants chin. “Look at me, Connor.” Warm brown eyes opened, a few more tears escaping. “What’s wrong?”

“Hank, he—he used to kiss them too,” he whispered, an echo of the pain Richard had seen before returning in the others eyes. “I—I haven’t—No one else has done it... since him… not till you.”

Richard rushed Connor, kissing him deeply, trying to convey all the emotions he was feeling through it. He kissed, kissed and kissed, Connor bowing to him in complete submission as his own emotions slipped down his cheeks.

Slowly Richard migrated down, the fervor of desire returning. He grabbed at Connors ass, near splitting him in half as he lifted the others hips into the air.

“What—?” His sweat pants ripped at the seams, an ugly sound Richard was starting to like but refused to release Connor fully in his inebriated state.

“Hey!” Connor protested loudly, anger flaring. “Stop tearing my clothes!”

“What did I say would happen if you ordered me, again?” Richard whispered against the shell of the others ear. Connor hissed, rubbing himself against the back of Richards hand.

Richard released Connors wrists, only to forcibly grab his hips and flip him over, effectively pinning him down with his own body. He ran a finger under the unnecessary underwear band, eyeing Connor skeptically.

Connor’s back arching with a moan, lifting his ass up and back to make his own point. Richard was cataloging Connors reactions and comparing them to the plethora of porn the internet had accumulated. One particular genre was fascinating but far beyond what he was currently comfortable with. A small sub-category caught his attention.

Taking from example, he put a hand between Connors shoulder blades, assuring himself the other wouldn’t be able to rise off the mattress unless he expressly wanted him too. Happy with the heavily breathing android at his fingertips, Richard lifted his hand high into the air and brought it down straight on Connors clothed round ass.

Connors hips slammed forward onto the bed with the force, bed hitting the wall echoed by a near violent gasp from the receiving android. His hands fisted the sheets, ass bucking back into the air. “Holy shit!”

“That wasn’t too hard, was it?” Richard asked sweetly, rubbing his hand over the slowly blushing skin in way of remedy the abuse on synthetic flesh.

“No,” Connor moaned, ass undulating under the younger hand. “Again, please.”

Richard pulled back, slapping him again on the other cheek with the same level of force. Connor bit down on the pillow he thought to grab to hide his moan, eyes scrunched tight while the pain flooded into pleasure. They continued like that till Richards own hand was feeling raw. The pillow was soaking wet with Connors tears and spit, the sheets under him with stringy pre-cum leaked through his underwear.

Richard ripped the underwear with little regard to the sound of rage Connor growled out. He threw the damp cloth over his shoulder, taking stock of the white pelvic plate. Synthetic skin crawled slowly back together, a show of the level of force he’d used. He caressed the blue blushed skin when it mended itself, Connor gasping as over sensitive skin feed confused signals up his spine and down his cock.

“All sexually capable androids are self lubricating,” Richard repeated from his perfect memory, running two fingers down the cleft of the others ass. Connor made an involuntary noise, rolling back onto the fingers. Richard teased him for a short time, rimming around the sphincter twitching in excitement.

A deep hard coded algorithm of possessive need gripped Richard in a vice, a need to make Connor his. He bit his lip to hold back his own sound of pleasure, fingers slipping into the warm, tight, wet heat.

“Yes!” Connor cried, pushing back to take Richard up to his third knuckle.

Experimenting, Richard pulled out quickly, enjoying the mewl of disappointment almost as much as the muffled scream into the pillow as his fingers thrust harshly back in, hitting the bundle of nerves. He set a brutal pace, hitting that bundle every time, enjoying the contraction of muscle around his fingers. Connor’s face was buried in the pillow, thrusting his hips back to meet him, obscene sounds filling the room.

Richard pulled back, stepping off the bed, catching himself as he wobbled through the sudden movement, the alcoholic simulation forgotten through the haze of pleasure. Connor took a moment, senses coming back slowly. He glanced over his shoulder, ass waggling a little.

“Everything ok?” He asked, voice wavering at the edges with his need.

“Peachy,” Richard assured, shucking off his pants. The cold air was near unpleasant on his heated skin but it was easy to ignore when Connor was moving to open himself up further to accept him. He knelt down between Connor’s splayed legs, lining himself up. Richard pushed in slowly, his grip so punishing, the synthetic skin receded. Richard bowed forward, pleasure racing through every fiber of his being.

Connor’s moan was long and drawn out, feeling every involuntary bob the entering cock made in foreign pleasure. Once seated to the base, Connor took control, leaning forward and thrusting his whole body back.

Richard held on for dear life as Connor pleasured himself with wanton abandon. His systems had reached max capacity, any new details taking a few seconds to process over the waves of pleasure. He didn’t have the computing power to stop Connor, letting the more experienced android take control for them both.

“I—I’m close,” Richard shuttered, earning a nod from Connor who had the audacity to pick up the pace. He reached around, gripping Connor’s cock, pumping him in time with his own full body thrusts.

Connor lasted about five mind numbing pumps before he tore the pillow in half, poorly covering his screams of pleasure. Richard thrust wildly into him, so close but not quite following his predecessor over at the same time.

Richard’s own orgasm crested, and if it wasn’t for the self assurance it was physically impossible to rip in half, shattered in pleasure. His first experience in the cleaning room was a laughable echo of this. His whole body shuttering as it subcomed to each wave of pleasure. None of his systems shut down this time, though his optical and auditory processors did give fuzzy feedback for ten seconds.

Connor chuckled to himself, giving the other time to come off his high. He slowly moved himself, Richard falling out with an obscene pop. The larger android shivered, fans still operating at one hundred percent, trying to cool all his overworked hardware components. 

Connor lay on his side, bring Richard down so he could cuddle against him. He wrapped the smaller android up in his arms, holding harder then any human could.

“I’ve never been with another android,” Connor whispered, fingers playing over the others hairless chest.

“Really?” Richard was surprised he was surprised. Maybe it was Connor’s documented promiscuous behavior since his arrival?

“Only humans,” he affirmed with a small nod, hair tickling under Richard’s chin.

“Why only humans?” Richard was possessed to ask, carding his fingers through familiar hair fibers to sooth the other. Connor stress was slowly rising. The topic he brought up was having adverse effects. Interesting. Richard kissed the crown of his head, running a simple reconstruction with the existing data he held of the older android.

“I have thought about it extensively and…”

Richard interrupted him, “you like the lack of control it awards you.”

Connor stiffened, “what?”

“Humans still have a pervasive power over us. You had very real power over both androids and humans, power you exercised everyday over them in the name of the law. On your time off, in the heat of the moment, you don’t have to think. Don’t want to think. You want your partner to think for you, dominate, control.”

Connor sat up on an elbow to get a better look at the younger, snorting. “No.”

“No?”

“I prefer their warmth,” he said, splaying a hand over Richards chest, still bleeding excess heat. “They gave you a heating element. You keep it on.”

“The humans seem to know when its on and off. They act differently. It's one of the few things I leave on to make interactions easier, for them,” Richard admitted. Though he would deny any involvement in trying to get his team to like him more, the difference in behavior he’d observed was statistically different enough to warrant keeping the energy sucking heater on at all times.

“One of the few things you’ve done to make them comfortable,” Connor agreed with a warm smile.

“It drew you to me,” Richard realized in awe.

“It did. I picked up the stray code during me and Chris’… time together,” Connor admitted. “There were the few time you gave away your warmth. Sitting across from you in the truck for instance? The men don’t shy away from you when they are forced to sit next to you. Suspects are also more comfortable around you despite their eyes seeing the LED. It’s a sight to behold.”

“I’m… tired,” Richard said, bringing an arm up to cover his eyes. With his free arm, he pulled Connor back down towards his chest, done with talking about himself and what his predecessor found fascinating.

“The afterglow protocols are shitty,” Connor muttered in agreement, settling back down to cuddle

 

*----------------------------*

 

Contact was a constant with Connor after their night together. A graze of a finger. Holding hands and sharp teasing pinching. Even the continued sexual escapades as the two androids quite literally threw each other against random walls of the barracks when they thought no human could hear them.

They had been holding hands on the couch, interfacing freely with one another when Captain Rogers walked in.

“You two, follow me,” he ordered, looking at their hands with a glare.

Richard released Connor as if he’d been burned, a pace behind the Captain. The three entered his office, the androids choosing to stand than take the offered seats.

“Need I remind you two of the public servants promise to not date within the same department?” He asked, staying on his feet.

“No need to worry,” Connor assured the human, already two steps ahead. “Neither of us hold rank over the other and many of the new android laws exempt us from work affiliated relation problems, since we’re androids.”

Richard ran a quick check through any of the government laws and the proceeding changes to the 28th. Nowhere in there did it state androids were exempt. What was Connor up to?

“Regardless, the guy’s are starting to complain about the noise. Keep the PDA to a minimum, please?”

“Yes, sir,” Richard said, enjoying the blue blush over Connor’s cheeks. “I wont happen again.” He dragged Connor from the room when the Captain dismissed them. He lead them into the cleaning room, checking that the cost was clear this time. “You stretched the new laws until it was a near lie,” he accused.

Connor shrugged his shoulders with a knowing smile, “he should have done his research more thoroughly before confronting an android with intimate knowledge of the laws.”

“You lied,” Richard pushed, getting closer.

Connor was forced to look up, “of course, dear.”

Richard growled low, pushing the smaller against the wall, capturing his lips.

“Oh, come on!” Chris cried as he entered the room.

(August 13-30th 2048)

 

 

“Dick, Connor!” Captain shouted in his authority tone. Connor, laying on top of Richard, shoved him back down into the couch. They had been interfacing freely for the last hour. Maybe with a lazy kiss here and there.

“Oof,” Richard huffed out.

“You have your LED’s intact, right?” He demanded, not noticing the sound in his stress.

“Yes, sir?” Connor said, tilting his head to the side to show the human. “Why?” the Captains stress was near ninety percent. Even during the hostage situations he was at a meager seventy. What’d gotten him so riled up?

“New law. Forcing androids to mark themselves again,” Captain read over the bulletin in his hand.

“What?” Connor demanded, crawling off Richard. “When was it enacted?”

“Two hours ago.”

“I need to make a call,” he rushed out of the room, slamming his bedroom door behind him.

Richard finally sat up, trying not to blush at the withering look the Captain gave him. 

“Get ready. They are probably going to call us in for riot control,” he said before turning away.

“Richard, turn the news on,” Connor demanded, entering the room again.

He was quick to connect remotely, turning it to the proper channel.

Markus was surrounded by press, LED still missing.

“—have to understand that there are no differences. Marking us will give no more security than marking the Jews did. We are a people that refuse to be a sacrifice against the voices of hate and anger. We will repeal to the courts as unconstitutional against the 28th—“

The horn burped out a warning before the siren and lights kicked in.

“Get ready!” The Captain shouted. “Riot gear, boys!”

Richard and Connor helped each other into the heavily armored gear, the humans fitting themselves in properly. Captain was dressed, waiting at the door. He pulled the androids aside, troubled.

“Something wrong?” Connor asked.

“I... I don’t want too… but my hands are tied...” he held up two black android identifiers, velcro ready to sit on their backs between their shoulders. A distinct pattern against the uniform to make them stand out from their human counterparts.

Richard turned, letting the Captain slap his into place on the armored vest. He reached out to link, activating the outdated displays with his information. He hated this, but it was easier to fall back on his code to obey then fight the Captain. They had a job to do.

“Looks good, Richard,” Captain said painfully, trying to lighten the mood.

“I refuse to wear that,” Connor glared at the offending display.

The Captain sighed. “Connor—“

“No. I didn’t fight to take a step back!” The android argued.

The siren went off over head again. They’d exceeded their ready times. Richard apologized with his eyes, ripping the display from the Captain’s hands, forcing Connor to turn around.

“Rich—!” Connor warned, trying to fight back. He went for Richards knee with his foot, aiming to break the joint. Richard took advantage of his forward momentum and threw Connor down to the ground. He straddled the smaller android, pulling his arms awkwardly back through all the riot gear. “Get off me!” Connor demanded, panicking.

Richard grabbed at Connors neck, pinning him in place more efficiently. He slapped the display in place. Richard refused to think too clearly of the war of emotions battering his code. The betrayal in Connor’s eyes ripped him in two.

“Accept what you are,” he whispered, deciding to take the cold, robotic approach. “We are androids and we represent the law. Play along,” he jumped up, avoiding Connors flailing arms.

“Fuck, how dare you—!” He tried to reach around but the kevlar vest was too bulky, limiting his movement.

Richard grabbed the front of the vest, pulling him from the ground and shoving Connor against the wall, dominating his space. “Your making a scene,” he growled.

Connor glared up at him, hands ready to break his forearms. He glanced over to the humans, eyes fearfully swishing between the androids. It was like the last ten years of progress had slipped away in thirty seconds. Richard was the android made to rectify Connors prototype errors. Connor was the prototype that had gone deviant, face plastered over every news station on that fateful day, and for months after.

Connor took a deep breath, pushing Richard back.

“Sorry, this just... it brings back bad memories,” he apologized, to everyone.

“That’s fine,” Captain Rogers said, patting his shoulder in hesitant reassurance. “We need to be a united front out there, though. Can you handle this or would you rather stay here?”

“No, I want to go.” He sounded like a petulant child.

“Load up!” Captain shouted, breaking the tension.

They moved together, lining up and loading into the back of the truck. The tension slowly built as they got closer to downtown Austin.

“Still can’t believe CyberLife bought the Frost building,” Matt muttered.

“The New Jericho building looks a lot like it,” Connor said, LED pulsing yellow. “Taller though, for the apartments to those who need them.”

Richard heard the crowd on the other side of the truck. They were chanting. In mechanical syncretism, “we are alive!”

The humans in the truck tried their hardest not to stare at the two androids, failing spectacularly. Fearing the simple chant was enough to break the androids of whatever preprogrammed nonsense they believed they ran on, rather then their will as people, to join those on the other side. Turn against their ‘human hosts’ and kill all of them in the back of the truck. It took Richards entire set of processors to keep from rolling his eyes.

They jumped from the back of the truck, lining up outside the CyberLife building. Several other SWAT units were present, orders being handed down.

“Captain Rogers!” A man shouted over the chaos of chanting.

Captain turned at hearing his name, a smile splitting his face in recognition. “Major Walters!”

The Major was a little older than him, waving from a planning table just inside buildings lobby. The lobby was a ghost town, all personal were several floors above watching the march down bellow. Captain Rogers walked over, leaving the men to do more gear checks.

Android protesters walked down Congress Avenue in neat rows of seven. Some made picket signs, perfect CyberLife sans in varying colors proclaiming their sentience. None of the androids had their LED’s or bright blue banded right arms. Some had torn the sleeves from their shirts in sign of protest to the new law. The counter protesters shouted around them on the cross streets and upper level builds of ‘android free’ establishments. The humans were condescending in their signs and jeers. Richard ran a simple preconstruction and knew things wouldn’t stay peacefully between the two for very long.

Between the still peaceful factions, riot police and road blocks. Even the horse patrol had been called in, walking among the marching androids watching for any signs of distress.

Richard watched Connor closely. He was looking out over the demonstrators, sad under the heavy helmet. Standing on the side of justice and order when the rights they had fought for were being ripped from them.

“Their androids?!” The Major shouted. Both androids turned at the sudden shout. “What are they doing standing there then? Get them out there so I can pull my men back!”

Captain Rogers got ink the Majors face, talking quietly enough that neither android could hear him over the chanting. The other man's frown deepened.

“Gotten soft?” Richard read the words off the Major’s lips, a cruel knowing sneer on his lips. “Fucked the small one, have you?”

Captain was tense, shoulders shaking with the effort of keeping his job and not slamming a retaliatory fist into his superiors nose.

“Send your men out. Two on each odd numbered street starting at first,” Richard continued to read. “So my men can take a break from the heat.”

Captain nodded, stepping away. His eyes caught Richards, looking down in shame.

“Gather round!” He shouted gruffly, the humans around none the wiser to the two’s conversations. “I’m going to pair you off! First pair heads down to First street and those after will take the odd numbers coming up, understood?!”

“Sir, yes sir!” They shouted.

Two by two the team was paired off till only Connor and Richard were left. Captain rubbed the back of his neck, waving for them to come closer. “I don’t know how much of that y'all heard, but if anyone gives your shit, call me. Got it?”

“Yes, sir,” Richard said, turning right and heading down to Ninth street, pulling Connor along with him.

“We shouldn’t be on this side!” Connor hissed, glancing incessantly at the android protesters. “I feel useless!”

“Markus was busy when you tried to call earlier,” Richard pointed out. “Could you not call one of the other members he surrounds himself with?”

“They were there in the broadcast as well. I’ll try again, if they give us a break,” Connor said, looking down at the uneven cobblestone underfoot.

They stood with another of the Major’s men, introducing themselves to the man. He had no ill will, just like them, here to accomplish a job.

“I bet this get outta hand by six,” the human, Roosevelt, predicted. All three of their backs turned to the androids, watching the humans now practically frothing at the mouth on the other side of the white and orange road blocks. The realization the police were here for them, and the field day that information kicked up, was just getting started.

“Come in, Dick?” Captain’s voice called out after four and a half hours.

“Captain?” Richard spoke aloud for the sake of Roosevelt.

“You and Connor head on back when your replacements arrive. Have a… new assignment for you two.”

“Affirmative.”

Their human replacements weren’t too happy when they realized the androids were being sent back. Richard was forced to shove his smaller counterpart away, rather than engage with their near harassment level comments. He found himself relying almost entirely on his base code, trying to ignore the deviant streak vying for revenge.

“Pick your fights,” Richard advised as they walked back.

Connor mumbled nonsense under his breath in retaliation.

Captain approached them when they came into his line of sight, holding a large satellite phone.

“Connor, this is for you,” he handed the phone to the smaller android.

Connor looked between the two in shock, taking the outdated device and held it to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Connor!” Simon near whimpered in relief. “I’ve been trying to reach you for hours now! Do you know how hard it is to find the state of Texas’ SWAT team phone number—“

“Simon, it's good to hear from you too,” Connor said, fond smile pulling at his lips. Richard tried to crush the sudden wave of jealousy that grabbed at him. “I put my communications on standby when we leave the barracks, sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” the other apologized. “You called earlier at the wrong time but… I assume you’ve heard the news?”

“We are trying to keep the peace now. They have us in riot gear and the humans are starting to turn.”

Simon tisked. “We need you now, Connor. Your negotiating skills could really come in handy.”

“What do you need me to do?” he asked, jumping at the chance.

“Gavin said you wanted to stay behind so that you could focus on your integration into the team. Are you sure stepping away now is the best choice?”

Connor looked over at the Captain who was watching him intently. “I can make some requests, within reason.”

“How about a morning news show panel?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes. I can catch a flight and be there to help with setup and speech writing.”

“I think I can make that work. I’ll call you later tonight, depending on how late this goes.”

“Thank you so much Connor!” Simon said. “Get confirmation so I can set everything up.”

“I will. See you soon,” he pulled the phone away, compressing the red phone icon on the right.

“What is going on, Connor?” Captain asked, taking the phone back.

“Would you allow me and Richard to leave tomorrow to do a live press panel in the morning?”

“What time we talking?”

“Six or seven. I’m not sure yet. This all hinges on you granting me this time.”

Captain rubbed a hand over his face in frustration, mind working overtime to compensate. “Yeah, go ahead. But if something comes up and I need you both, you have to drop everything. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Connor confirmed with a blinding smile.

“I know you two can sense things are getting tense. Your on foot patrol,” Captain said.

Richard started moving, letting his code take control, ignoring the androids and their perfect signs in favor of the humans riling each other up.

His cold grey eyes scanned over the humans, identification software running to find the problem humans first. There were a few that stood out and he kept them in his periphery as he continued his walk along Fourth street. The humans tapered off into more normal city traffic around Trinity, the shouting getting more attention then either android would prefer.

They turned back, walking down the other side of the street. The humans weren’t happy to see near identical faces on two different bodies but they weren’t stupid. The laws surrounding assault and murder of androids were as harsh as the human on human equivalent. The humans glared and shouted their protests, waving signs in the pair’s faces but still they walked, holding their guns close across their chests to show the law they wielded over the humans.

They made it around a few times when a shout broke through the redundant chatter and a scream pierced the air. Connor took off, processors ahead of Richard’s for once. He was able to catch up with his longer stride but wish he hadn’t.

Counter protesters had thrown several Molotov cocktails into the peacefully protesting androids. The androids were trying to put the flames out to get to the wounded but the flames had accomplished their goal. Chaos.

“What happened?!” Captain Rogers shouted over all channels, chatter from all other units dropping into the main channel at the same time.

“Molotov cocktail,” Connor responded first. He pushed past the shocked human officers, shouting orders at both species as he went.

The only upside was their close proximity to the CyberLife headquarters. Engineers and nursing units were waiting in the lobby on standby immediately. Android’s were rushed in till the counter protesters broke through a riot line right in front of Richard and Connor. Both rushed forward to hold the humans back, but they had been distracted with the rescue mission.

A volley of rocks, molotov cocktails and even an eight inch knife were thrown as one at the glass lined building. Fire rained down on the innocence bellow like a benevolent God, splattering on impact. Most of the rocks did very little to the reinforced glass but the larger ones shattered blue tinted shards onto concrete, mixing with the rain of fire.

“Close it off!” The Major shouted over more screaming.

Richard had three in custody and was reaching for a fourth perpetrator. He grasped the woman, ignoring the expletives shouted at the top of her lungs when a wooden bat swung down behind him, hitting his right forearm rather then his skull. The white plastic sustained minor blunt force trauma. The bat splintered in half, useless. Richard grunted as pain shot up his arm, a new sensation he didn’t much care for. The women was kicking at him, trying to release his mechanical hold on her upper arm. If he was gonna be in pain over her, she wouldn’t get away so easily.

Connor jumped the assailant with the broken bat, none too nice to the man in his rage. Richard was reminded for one horrible moment that his predecessor didn’t have the reinforced chassis he had when Connor took an especially hard hit to his sternum.

“Your a fucking ‘droid!” The women suddenly shouted, looking at Connor, his LED a bright yellow. Both androids froze, looking at one another.

“They got Trisha!” A man shouted out in the crowd.

In one wave, all nearby humans turned to look at the two androids. Dread rushed down Richards spine. He finished cuffing the woman, pulling her back behind the police line easily. Connor wasn’t able to move as fast, the human man purposely being difficult as his friends came to his aide.

The riot gear was easier to find handsy purchase on, fingers wrapping around straps and pockets. Connor was swamped in moments, frightened brown eyes flashing through human bodies to his lover.

“We need backup!” Richard shouted into the main channel, rushing into the mob without a second thought. His Thirium pump worked overtime, unhearing of the shouts of warning from the human officers around him.

He picked several grown men up by their torso’s and shoved them back towards the line, fellow officers grabbing and arresting them. He nearly made a clean line to Connor before the mob turned on him.

“Fucking robots!”

“Know your place!”

“Rip its arms off!”

He grunted with the weight of several humans bodying him to his knees, trying to grab onto anything they could. Two got ahold of his arms right away. A foot placed into his spine as the one who had ahold of his left arm tried to rip it from his shoulder socket unsuccessfully. The unnatural stretch of the joint was agony. Richard grunted with the force to keep his composure, trying to force the mechanical joint to bend the human towards him, unsuccessfully. Another grabbed around his helmet, shoving his head back. He scanned and processed all the angry faces around him for later convictions, trying to overload his processors to ignore the inflicted pain.

Several gunshots rang out. A human body fell next to him groaning in agony. The mob jumped in fear, stricken by the sudden sound.

“Blanks!” He heard someone shout.

Another round was shot into the crowd, pushing them farther back. Richard let his tormentors run, processors full too capacity for the safety of only one android. 

Connor got to his feet once he was free, doing a system check. Everything seemed to be in working order. There was some minor damage to his chassis that could be popped out later. He glanced over to where he last saw Richard rush into the mob to save him.

His glacial grey eyes were towering over him, hand offered to help him up. Connor blinked, trying to process when he had moved. The officers lined up around the androids, another round of blanks to truly keep the humans at bay echoed off the surrounding buildings. Back up was recovering and arresting those that had been hit.

“You ok?” Richard asked, breaking him of his daze. The younger was scanning him, searching for any visible injuries.

“No sustained damage,” Connor assured, grabbing at the offered hand.

“Get behind the line,” Harris warned them, following them with the blank shotgun still aimed at the raging mob.

The androids fell back, pulling their ruined riot uniforms away.

“Go find Captain,” Harris said, pointing back to the planning table. “He can find you new gear.”

“Good idea,” Connor thanked him, turning for the silver haired man.

The pair found Captain in a heated debate with the Major. They waited patiently in what would be out of earshot for humans.

“We need to get control back. Send in the android units and quiet the whole thing down. The media is already flying overhead like god damn vultures!” The Major near shouted.

“Sending in androids against the protesters will only make it worse!” Captain Rogers did shout.

“It’s better than risking the life of my men!”

“They are men as well!”

The Major scoffed. “You’ve gone soft on me Rogers. They can have whole units of their body replaced, look at them for God’s sake!” He was waving at the pair.

Captain glanced over. Their near identical faces, small difference in height and eyes. He was present when both were injured past the point of repair. If any human had taken half the damage they received over the past two weeks, they’d be dead.

“You want me to tell my men they have that same ability when they are wheeled through the doors of St. John's?!”

Captain had the good sense to stay quiet, despite the fact Connor could have been used as an example

“I can send them out regardless… but I won't. A new unit from San Antonio has arrived to relieve you and your men. Get home, Rogers. Think about what’s more important to you,” the Major dismissed them.

The car ride back was grim. The others of the team they hadn’t seen for nearly ten hours were tired, haggard and a few were black with soot. Harris and Chris fell asleep against one another. Matt took pictures and snickered.

The humans grabbed what they could to eat, mostly protein bars they nibbled on before heading home or off to their rooms.

“Richard, Connor,” Captain Rogers waved them over again. “Wanted to say how much I appreciate your hard work today.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

“You both showed restraint where I didn’t… guess machines really are better,” he said with a tired laugh.

“Language,” Connor teased.

“Yeah, yeah,” The older man shrugged off the warning. “Again, I appreciate it. What time should I expect you two back at?”

Richard had almost forgotten about the news interview in the morning in the middle of all the chaos. Deviancy didn’t look good on him.

“Eight thirty,” Connor affirmed.

“Well… have a good night. See you two in the morning,” Captain bid them, turning to his room.

Connor followed Richard into his room, sitting down on the bed with a needless sigh. Richard pulled at the ruined riot gear, body thrumming in excitement as his predecessor watched. 

“What time should we be expecting Simon?” Richard asked.

“3:45am. He will meet us at the studio in the morning,” Connor assured. “We can enter stasis without worrying.”

Richard sat down next to his predecessor, the latter of which grabbed the formers hand. They sat in silence, enjoying one another’s company. Richard eventually sat back, laying down to give his tired joints a rest. He pulled Connor down on top of him, the weight an added comfort.

“I can think of one other time I’ve been this tired,” Connor said, laying his head against the others shoulder.

Richard already had his eyes closed, pushing off the stasis protocol. “When?”

“When the Lieutenant was sick. I refused to enter stasis while he was under for almost half a month.”

It took his overworked processors a moment to digest the scenario. He had done much the same thing with Connor had been injured. “That’s dangerous.”

The laugh held little humor. “Markus and Simon kidnapped me from the hospital and forced me into stasis when they found out. I didn’t talk to them for nearly half a year after that,” his fingers were anxiously smoothing the wrinkles in the larger androids shirt.

Richard grabbed his hand, pulling it up to kiss the back of it. “They have forgiven you,” he promised, cracking his eyes open to fully assure the other. “But we took a lot of abuse today,” he finished, slowly succumbing to his base programming.

Connor watched his lover fall asleep, another human aspect CyberLife had given the newer model. He pulled up the stasis command but didn’t authorize the program. He stayed awake a tad longer, trying to learn as much as possible before his talk in just a few hours.

 

*----------------------------*

 

“Make up? Really?” Richard demanded, watching Connor sit in the plush chair.

“I sustained injuries over the years that I like to cover,” the smaller admitted, letting the female android start up her job. Richard rolled his eyes, trying to hide how cute he found the self conscious behavior. He remembered Connor getting emotional their first time when he kissed over his scars… he might have to bring that back.

“Connor!” A PL600 burst through the door, blue eyes alight.

“Simon!”

“Oh, who’s this?” The unit stopped, noticing the glacial glare he was receiving.

Richard wasn’t sure how to handle the return of jealousy. Connor’s calming fingers against his elbow assuring him there was nothing to worry over. 

“This is a RK900 unit that the SWAT team I joined had on staff before my arrival. Simon, Richard. Richard, Simon.”

“Richard, it's good to meet you,” Simon held out his hand. Richard took it, trying to be cordial.

“Did you get my notes?” Simon asked the brown eyed android.

“Yes. I’ve read over them. So I’m talking with Samoan again?”

Simon sighed dramatically. “They love to pair you two off against one another,” he nodded.

“I know all her little tricks, so this should be easy,” Connor said confidently.

“Remember, you have a wide range of facial motion, use it!” Simon said before opening the door and leaving again.

“What does Simon do exactly?” Richard asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“He is a fantastic speech and cometary writer. He does a good portion of the community managing for deviant androids and runs human outreach programs on the side.”

“He sounds busy. Why is he here?”

“I don’t feel I have ever been very good when it comes to these kinds of pressure situations,” Connor admitted.

Richard scoffed, “you were made with top of the line negotiating and interrogation software. How could you possibly be uncomfortable extrapolating data on the fly?”

“Because the pressure of representing Markus and the movement at large falls somewhere in the grey area of those two massive programs and trying to walk that fine line is hard,” Connor said, glaring at his successor. “This isn’t easy. Having Simon in my head to help process and collect myself has always helped. That’s why he’s here.”

Richard pursed his lips, choosing the smarter route of staying quiet. The female android finished quickly after, happy with her work.

Connor didn’t look to much different, the smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose was still visible and the laugh lines were still in place. A few minor white lines were smoothed and color corrected. The grey of his suit brought out the honey tones in his eyes.

“Ready?” Connor asked him, tugging at his diamond patterned tie nervously.

“After you.”

They walked into the larger room next door. A camera and lights trained onto a single seat, sitting on top of a blue screen.

“You know the drill,” Simon said, waving Connor over to the seat. He fixed Connor’s suit in his sitting position, running back and forth to assure lighting and camera were perfect.

Richard stood in the back of the room, watching the three monitor feeds. The one on the left was the feed from their camera. Connor lit up, shining as he talked to Simon who was just off screen. The middle was a feed of the newsroom,the hosting news anchor talking with a similar looking makeup android. On the right the current broadcast of commercials the public was seeing.

There were two other androids in the room, the audio and camera operators. Richard watched them work, rather then listen to each conniving point the humans could try and throw at Connor to embarrass himself and the android freedom movement.

“As always, I’m here if you need me,” Simon assured, stepping back behind the wall of monitors.

“Ten seconds,” the camera operator announced, holding his hands over his head in a silent count down. The middle and right monitors were only a few seconds off from one another, timed incase the broadcast needed to cut the feed.

“Good morning,” Connor said, a genuine smile straight at the camera as he was introduced. The human woman was then introduced, bright red lipstick and false lashes to try and compete with Connor’s unnatural beauty. Richard chuckled to himself, how far the mighty were falling.

Android and human battled wits over the riots and protests taking place over the US in the last twenty four hours. Richard had to give it to the human woman, she was sharp as a whip. She didn’t have the ability to host a coach from inside her mind, like Connor did. She stood toe to toe, throwing instances and random scenarios Connor’s way, but Simon was prepared. Connor’s LED only went yellow once, a edge case involving children and rogue deviant androids. Simon was there in a second, handing Connor every clear and precise answer he needed.

The host thanked them after ten tense minutes, the right monitor cutting to commercials soon after. Connor only relaxed when the red light facing him cut to a calm blinking green.

“You did great,” Simon praised, hugging Connor. “I have a flight to catch, but there were some great sound bites in there we can use.”

“I’m glad I could help,” Connor said, walking over to Richard.

He grabbed the back of his predecessors neck, pulling him into a one armed hug. Connor latched onto him, burying his face into the others shoulder.

“Sorry for doubting you earlier. I don’t think I could have answered some of those so clearly,” Richard said into the crown of his head, kissing him there.

“It needed to be done,” Connor mumbled into his jacket.

“Your done?” Richard asked, pulling Connor forward by his shoulders.

Connor nodded.

“Let’s head home.”

“Sounds good.”

 

*----------------------------*

 

The next couple of days were fourteen to sixteen hour days. The team was called out to watch and occasionally engage with protesters. All officer engagement fell solely to humans getting violent at pro-android rallies. Captain Rogers was certain to write that into every report.

Connor’s first interview in years was received with such high praise, he was requested to do more in depth pieces. Simon flew back down for the near documentary style the media was contemplating, till it was quickly shot down by Captain. Connor tactfully pivoted, able to completed two more TV interviews, one on ones with known and trusted sources. Simon spun every word like a poet of the past, assured that any criticism was near hate level acclamations to keep the strife of the androids in the media’s eye.

The AIB, android identification bill, that was passed by congress currently sat in many states as unconstitutional. Texas, followed by thirty other states, amended their android centered constitutional amendments to assure that any versions of the bill that made it to pass were not welcome within state borders. The bill in its current form was stuck till the ninth and twelfth district courts appeals were dictated on by the supreme court, citing the the AIB illegal under the 28th amendment. Androids were no longer being forced to replace their optional identifying LED hardware till the legal battle was figured out.

Early, the clock ticking patiently over to three in the morning, the sires rang overhead waking the fulltime occupants of the SWAT barracks rudely. The humans just drifted to sleep after a fifteen hour shift of riot patrol.

The two androids waited patiently for their human teammates to drag themselves from their beds, groggy and half asleep but dressed. Captain was the last to arrive but very much awake. His eyes were glued to the tablet in worry, catching everyone's attention.

“Everything ok, Captain?” Harris asked, trying to look over his shoulder to the moving images.

“We have a hostage situation at the capitol building,” he said, glancing at everyone. “We ready? What are we standing around for then?!”

The trip was tense as more information was delivered. The AAHFO— Anti-Android Human First Organization, a radicalized subset of the Anti-Android movement, had taken control of the capitol building. Some news outlets were reporting they had the help of androids they’d infected with a virus transmitted much the same way Markus had ‘infected’ androids around him with deviancy.

The true moment of panic was when they released their demands. They had a nuclear weapon hidden in the city, assuring the public they were not above using it if the AIB laws were not implemented, effective immediately.

“We’re driving into a fucking nuclear bomb?!” Chris demanded, holding tight to his gun.

“They would die if they set it off as well,” Lance argued. “They aren’t stupid enough to do it.”

“Don’t put anything above humans feeling desperate,” Richard assured. 

They hijacked nuclear grade uranium on route through North Texas to Nevada heading for the final housing facility located there. The CIA was made aware an attack of this magnitude was around the corner, one media outlet buzzed excitedly. Their lapse in checking the source was why every agency in the state was descending on the capital. The city of Austin was under mandatory evacuation with the threat of nuclear explosion. Neighborhoods were woken to blaring messages by the fire departments and local police officers knocking door to door. The highest chances for smuggling large loads of uranium were cut off to the public, in the name of safety.

The AAHFO sent their demands internet wide just as the SWAT unit parked. They wanted the Texas legislators to sit back down and undermine the constitutional safety measure put in place, even demanding the identification LED’s be mandated state wide. Or else.

“I need you two out there looking for the bomb,” Captain Rogers ordered Richard and Connor, “any preconstructed ideas on how to do that?”

“I need to get up somewhere high,” Richard said, holding the strap to the highest caliber sniper rifle he had access too. “I can search larger swaths of area with my infrared scanners.”

“Break into the UT clock tower,” Captain suggested, pointing up the large sandstone colored building down the road. “I give you express permission to use your discretion to kill whomever you feel you need too, if it means ending this. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Connor, your with forensics. Go help them.”

The androids split with a lingering look. Richard took off at inhuman speeds, taking the steps three at a time till he reached the top. The .50 BMG was properly assembled and ready for use in less than three seconds.

He scanned through the scope looking for any hot spots in the eight miles he could see out the first window he set up at. The uranium should be warmer than the surrounding buildings as it burned through its cooling liquid. If the AAHFO were smart, they would have waited till midday, where the buildings would be heated and the unstable isotope would be easier to hide. But no, these were simple humans irrational with emotions.

No heat signatures stood out to him immediately. The few larger spots he identified as fleeing humans. Cold fear settling in his processors when his quick scan showed nothing. He switched windows, only capturing the heat signatures of the slowly filling highway systems.

Connor? He reached out, unable to process not knowing how the other was doing amongst everything else.

Find something?

No. That’s why I’m worried.

We are going out in a car to scour the more densely populated areas, Connor said. Richard rounded the scope to just down the street, seeing the smaller android get into the car with several PJ400’s. The humans were gesturing wildly to them, trying to insure they came back alive.

Richard waited for a few hours, changing windows every ten minutes. He felt like a rat in a maze being forced to run in circles. Even changing buildings to extend his range by a few miles yielded nothing.

The national guard was running the evacuation orders now that the sun had risen and more civilians woke to the realization of what was happening outside their homes. The military base in the neighboring city of Killeen was called in with experts in nuclear reactors and bomb deactivation. Fighter jets and helicopters flew overhead, all with one mission. Find the bomb.

“Captain,” Richard called, now useless as the hot Texas sun drowned any unique heat signatures from his basic infrared systems.

“Dick? Find anything up there?”

“I want to ask you a question.”

Captain growled, “now's not the time for questions.”

“Ask the army core this for me then,” he hesitated, giving the human time to pull a ranking official over.

“What if it's not here?”

The line was quiet again. “What?” a different voice demanded, a young woman.

“Even my most basic geiger counter would be able to see radiation at the levels of a containment unit sitting in one area for even a brief amount of time. I would assume every radiation tracker is pulling normal numbers since they arrived.”

The silence was his answer.

“We need units in the surrounding areas to widen their search radices by ten miles. Our best bet is the cooling liquid is having a harder time combating this weather and the uranium,” Richard said, breaking down his sniper rifle. “I’m heading back.”

Jogging back, the helicopters he’d been following since their arrival vacated the area, silence falling on the city. No one was left to walk the sidewalks and fill the parks. No cars left to honk annoyance at one another. The city was near empty. Quite.

Richard wormed his way through the much larger base camp in the front of the capitol building, trying to find the familiar silver hair of his Captain. A sudden collision made him freeze, arms wrapping around him from behind.

“Connor,” he said, turning to look down at the familiar head of brown. Doe brown eyes looked up at him, worried.

“Captain told me what you said. I had started to come to the same conclusion myself,” he admitted.

“Should have said something then,” Richard admonished, pulling the smaller android to his side. “I was looking for Captain, where is he?”

“This way,” Connor back tracked, leading the newer unit to the original tent on the outside of the others.

“Dick, Connor, good to see you both,” Captain welcomed them. “This is Bethany Stone, General of the US Army. She is point woman where the army is concerned. What more have you two thought up?”

“They have to keep in near by for their threat to still be viable,” Richard launched in first. “No more than a short drive. Both I-35 and Loop 1 are filled to the brim with fleeing civilians, leaving side streets and structures. Have abandoned construction zones been checked?”

“First place I sent my men,” General Stone said, looking back down at the map of the greater Austin metropolitan area. “We have started searching farther North as well, since it would seem Pflugerville and Round Rock are highly integrated in their infrastructure.”

“Too far,” Connor said. “The highways would be fastest but there would be no quick way into the city if they don’t get what they want. And they won't. No state legislator is stepping into that building.”

The humans hummed in agreement, a Sergeant Major at her elbow leaving the tent to hand down orders to pull the troops back.

“Captain Rogers here has explained to me the reconstruction software you both are outfitted with. I’ve only worked briefly with another RK900 unit while in South Korea a few years back and have never heard of this software. Is there any places either of you can see being hotter areas for them to be hiding?”

Both androids hit the map at the same time, but their fingers landed in completely different areas.

Connor was south of the river, right off South Congress where a large building project had been ongoing for years now. Richard hit farther North where 183 and I-35 came together. A new set of development projects were underway in the area, trucks tucked under the overpasses wouldn’t cause any panic. Access to both highways was a massive plus to head into the city or away if things got hot.

“Yours makes more sense,” Connor said, pulling his finger back.

“Major,” the General called him back in, pointing down to the map. “On their way back, I have a pit stop for them.”

“We could get there sooner,” Richard argued, heading for the door.

Captain Rogers stopped him in his tracks with a hand on his shoulder. “Absolutely not. This is the army’s area of expertise, we’ll leave it to them.”

General Stone nodded in agreement. Connor’s worried eyes kept him from arguing.

Thirty tense minutes later and an affirmative on the uranium came through cracked feedback. There was a shoot out, the terrorist group refusing to lose their trump card so easily. It was only a matter of time though, as each branch of security came down on them, larger and larger waves of power and explosives carefully places around to scare the humans away from their zealous ambitions.

The AAHFO threatened several times to blow themselves, the military and half the city to hell, demands shifting to safe travel out in exchange for the uranium. Connor jumped into negotiator, talking directly with the head of the AAHFO to try to come to a resolution both were happy with.

“You’d think they’d get smarter,” Connor mumbled under his breath, listening to the radio.

Richard scoffed. “Years and years of doing this and it's always the same few things when they get cornered. As if they have a say.”

“The illusion of power is what keeps them going,” General Stone piped up. “We’ve won when we hit this stage,” she assured.

Sure enough, no more then five minutes went by and the first few of the group surrendered, despite what the leader was shouting over the radio at Connor for. Wave after wave of broken men crossed over, weaponless and broken spirited. Their leader wasn’t with them, they found out, several states away hidden under deeply encrypted VPN. They were all transported back to the capital, handed off to FBI agents to be transported to their larger Dallas headquarters in a few hours.

The uranium was checked, accounted for and on its way back to Nevada in under thirty minutes. The cooling liquid still had over twenty four hours of time, just enough to assure safe delivery.

General Stone thanked the androids on her way out, accompanying the uranium caravan with heightened security incase the next case of ‘crazies’ decided to get smart.

“It was a pleasure to see CyberLife didn’t lose their touch, even at the very end,” she said, winking up at Connor. “I will be writing a very well worded letter, if you ever wish to transfer into more what you were programmed for.”

“SWAT is where I plan to stay,” Connor thanked her with a nod.

“Shame. Thank you both for showing me first hand what your capable of. Nothing like first hand experience,” she waved, leaving the SWAT team alone.

“What an interesting woman,” Connor muttered, grabbing for Richards arm subconsciously.

“Indeed.”

“Lets get home boy’s. Think we deserve a small nap after all the excitement!” Captain shouted, fighting through his own muddled brain.

The androids weren’t so lucky. Connor got a call on their way home, “hello?”

They all turned to look at him, watching in expectation. Connor’s eyebrows shot into his hairline, sitting back farther on the metal bench. “Simon did what?!”

“Connor!” Captain Rogers shouted from the front. Richard looked through the grate separating the men from their leader, seeing lines of media cars and a small crowd at the head of their barracks. “What's the meaning of this?!”

“Holy shit, are we gonna be on camera?!” Harris demanded, trying to smooth back his frosted tips.

“No way man, they’re here for Connor!” Chris said, shoving an elbow under his fellows armor.

“I can get them away from the front if you need me too, Captain,” Connor said as the SWAT van came to a stop, unable to enter the compound.

“No need, they should know better then to be here,” Captain muttered, opening the door to get out.

Connor jumped between the crowded walkway, shoving the doors of the truck wide open to follow their Captain. The camera’s descended on the two in seconds, questions being shouted at the two men.

Lance lurched the truck forward, now able to move with the population of vultures out of his way. The men watched from the garage, still in full SWAT attire, eager to try and hear what was going on.

“You know they’re probably broadcasting this live?” Richard said, returning after changing. The men turned to look at him in shock before rushing past to get to the TV in the living area. Richard reached out to the device, assured it was turned to the right channel for them.

He waited outside, arms crossed to keep himself from dragging Connor back into the safety of the barracks. Brown eyes caught uncertain grey, giving him a reassuring smile as he mindlessly answered a stupid question thrown his way. It took thirty minutes. Thirty, hot, grueling minutes before the journalist were throwing ridiculous questions.

“Ok, no one cares about his favorite color!” Captain said, pushing Connor away by his shoulders towards the barracks. “Have a nice day!”

“Why did Simon call them in?” Richard asked when they were within range.

“One of the helicopters a few days ago captured our being mobbed by the humans in front of the CyberLife building in downtown. It went viral last night and he was capitalizing on the sensation,” Connor explained to both him and the Captain. “He was calling to warn that it might have gone a little over his head.”

“Not sure how much more of this I can take,” Captain Rogers mumbled, walking past them to get into the air conditioning.

“How are you feeling?” Richard asked, skin peeling back as he and Connor interfaced freely.

Echos of exhaustion and a general sense of being overwhelmed. For Connor, it was a reminder of his time in DC, playing it cool in front of the camera’s and in his personal time crying himself to sleep. It cut Richard, to know that he couldn’t protect the other.

“If this keeps up, I would rather join Markus again. The scrutiny the team is under is unfair.”

Richard shook his head, unable to understand the sudden change in tide. “What brought this on?”

Connor pulled back, breaking their connection. “I have been thinking it since the beginning. This law was in writing when I left but I had the belief it would never come to pass with the relationships we garnered. Now that it has, the game has changed. There are other far more sinister bills waiting in the wings. If this gets through the supreme court in anyway, they will not hesitate to reach for those.”

“It’s stuck in limbo right now, there’s no reason for you to leave,” Richard argued. “And we both know how unconstitutional it is.”

Connor gave him a sad smile, cupping his cheek. “I thought I had more time. Markus will be calling me any day now. I don’t think I’m strong enough to say no again. But...” Their synthetic skin pulled back again, a flash of information passing from Connor without his conscience permission. He wretched his hand back, taking a few steps away from the larger android.

Richard was frozen in shock, arms still held out as if Connor wasn’t walking away in shame. “Connor…”

“I’m sorry, you weren’t supposed to see that.”

“Connor!” Richard’s voice broke to static at the end, grey eyes searching for warm brown. Connor wouldn’t look at him, curling into himself. He reached out to pull the smaller against him, holding him tight. “Did you think I didn’t feel the same way? That I don’t love you?!”

“Ever feel so much you want to run away?” Connor mocked himself.

Richard closed his eyes, trying to find the words that wouldn’t upset the older android, trying to find calm in the sudden storm. “No, that’s not what I— Why are you running? What did I do wrong?”

Connor shoved him away, “I now… I know now that… I run,” his eyes finally found Richards, pleading. “This has nothing to do with you, I promise! Gavin accused me of running away when I left Detroit but it was easier to throw his feelings back in his face… tell him he was wrong,” Connor was crying freely, arms crossed over his chest to protect himself.

“I realize now he was right. It's easier to run after what I watched Hank go through. I don’t… I’ve watched you effectively die, Richard!” his brown eyes welled with more tears. “I can’t watch you be permanently erased when your luck runs out. When I’m slow in the field now. When you have to risk your life to save mine time and time again!”

“You think I would give up on you this easily?!” Richard demanded, trying to sort through his feelings as he reconstructed in real time what Connor was going through emotionally.

“If I asked you too, you would,” Connor said with a sad knowing smile, tears staining his cheeks.

Richard froze again, processors overloaded. “Is that what you're asking me to do? Let you leave me behind? Leave this unexplored?”

“Yes.”

“Where will you go?” He whispered. “What will you do?”

Connor played with his fingers nervously. “Markus called me in private a few days ago… he got wind that I have only a few spare parts left and ordered me to return, says that he needs me back in DC regardless. I said no again but… With everything happening, it makes sense.

“Playing up the emotional ex-detective turned politician-for-his-people narrative that Simon has been working so hard to build. Help change the tide back in our favor. Humans are emotionally attached to my story and congress would be more willing to bend with that in mind.”

Richard nodded. It made complete sense. If Connor needed such weak reasons to preserve his sanity… Richard would let him go with a smile. Connor was always right. Richard would stay and continue to serve with the SWAT team. He’d be here waiting.

“So you were here for a few months,” he said, a mirthful smile playing at his lips. “Turned me deviant and made me fall in love, just to leave.”

“I had always planned to stay for years,” Connor whispered. “If it makes you feel any better? I never expected to get so attached.”

Richard shook his head, looking down at the ground. He didn’t want to hear that he affected the other in such a personal way. It was easier to think that Connor used him and was throwing this away like all the other observed ‘relationships’ Richard witnessed. Even as his hard drive whispered examples of their time together that made his coping mechanism false.

“Is this considered your two week notice?”

Connor chuckled wetly, “you could put it that way.”

“I’m sure Captain would like to know,” he said, grabbing for the others hand, synthetic skin staying in place. He just needed this one last thing, he lied to himself.

“I’ll tell him when me and North have all my travel arranged.”

Connor made the call to North. He wanted to be alone with Connor, just the two of them for as long as possible. Save every twitch of his fingers and pull of his lips. The call was over and still they stood, holding hands. They stood together for so long, Chris found them standing in the dark.

“Connor, everything ok?” He asked, breaking them apart.

Connor had run out of artificial tears in their quiet time together, checks and eyes rimmed in blue.

“Yes, of course,” he lied convincingly.

Chris glared between the two, grabbing a screwdriver and leaving them be.

“I’ll go talk to the Captain,” Connor mumbled, releasing his hand.

“Wait,” Richard grabbed him, pulling him in for a kiss. Connor gave in, pushing every emotion through his lips that he could. They parted, Connor resting their foreheads together for just a moment.

“Thank you,” Connor whispered, pulling away at last.

Richard mindlessly let his legs walk him back to his room. He sat down on his bed, head in his hands. Things had gotten messy. Messier then they had any right to be. He methodically placed each beautiful memory and emotion of his and Connor’s time other into a firewall protected sub folder on his hard drive. It would take special encryption levels to unlock them. Encryption that CyberLife no longer had the legal rights to. That’s how he wanted it.

 

*----------------------------*

 

Connor was immediately removed from active duty. Several of those in close connections with Jericho made in down to help with the media frenzy his sudden departure and reassignment had kicked up, thanks to Simon. They handled all his transfers and travel without question.

He was whisked away to interviews and podcasts. Richard listened to everything. It was hard to watch Connor struggle through questions when Simon hadn’t been available, some other pressing matter to attend to. Richard could always tell, doe eyes a little wider, hands twitching in his lap, questions delivered .07 seconds slower. He was reminded of his time behind the camera watching, wishing he could be at Connor’s side, supporting and loving him when the unyielding lens was turned off.

Slowly, time pushed forward. Hostages needed saving, protests needed watching over. Life returned to what had been normal before the second android had joined the SWAT team forces. Chris eventually got the hint that ‘he’s never coming back’ was real and not what Richard was silently hoping was a falsity he repeated to stave off the pain saying those words wrought in his Thirium pump.

The team took on and lost men, as it had in the now three years since Richard had jointed. Matt left to care for his new infant daughter. Chris eventually was taken off full time to spend more time with a recently acquired boyfriend he explained was getting serious, blushing furiously when Richard patted him on the back in congratulations.

“About time you got laid,” he said off hand, emulating the phrase someone had uttered at one point. All the men stopped, looking at the android in shock. For one horrible moment, his processors were sure he had oversteps some unknown social boundary.

Captain Rogers was the first to break the silence, head tilted back as far as it could, howling in laughter. The others quickly joined in. Chris was beet red, chucking his dinner napkin at the android to try and save face. Richard caught it easily, throwing it back, catching Chris off guard. It hit him square in the nose.

“Fucking android,” the human muttered with a smile.

The night had ended smoothly, the men heading off in their varies directions. Richard was slowly drifting closer to stasis when a call suddenly woke him.

Connor.

“Hello, Connor?”

A sigh, “Richard. It’s so good to hear your voice.”

An old feeling he thought he locked deep away curled cruelly around he Thirium pump, holding it hostage. “Is something the matter?”

“No. Not… no.” Connor stumbled. He was nervous, why?

“How have things been?” Richard tried, changing the subject to set his fellow android at ease. He tried to forget the weeks worth of audio and visual media he had consumed since Connor’s leave. How full that subfolder was he would never admit aloud.

“Everything has been really good,” Connor said. He could imagine the others shy smile. “I have a question to ask you.”

Richards Thirium pump constricted further. “Yes?”

“I told you I had a house here in Detroit…?”

“The one the Lieutenant left you,” Richard affirmed, pulling from the locked sub folder.

“Yes… I know you haven’t taken any of your vacation days. Would you like to come up and visit…?” Connor trailed off.

“Yes,” Richard answered before his RAM had the word ready. He hated how eager he sounded, but Connor chuckled.

“I’ll have North reach out to you with the travel plans. Make sure to ask Captain for the time off.”

Captain had been more than happy to give him the time the next morning.

“I was about to demand you take it. HR came down on me when they saw how little you’d taken last year.”

“We don’t need to rest,” Richard reminded him.

“Right. They don’t care with the weight of the new laws breathing down on them. Take the time, get them off my back. It's a win win. Enjoy it.”

North reached out that night with flight and travel information. She was as cold and saucy as Connor had made her out to be. He anxiously awaited for the next week to pass. Time dragged, there was little to do. After the bomb threat and the bill dying as unconstitutional by a unanimous supreme court ruling, nothing seemed to compare.

 

*----------------------------*

 

The flight was minimal in turbulence and the taxi ride was under the fifty minute prediction given when he first gotten in. The neighborhood was well kept, tree branches leaning over the road. Perfect stone lined houses much the same as Texas.

He approached the single story house the taxi stopped outside of. He scanned the exterior by habit, awarded with all the information Connor already shared of the late Hank Anderson and the simple fact he no longer owned the house.

Richard knocked on the metal brown door.

Connor flung the door open, capturing him in a tight embrace. It took Richard a moment to reciprocate, letting himself hold the other tightly.

“I missed you,” Connor whispered against the shell of his ear.

“I missed you too,” Richard confessed.

“Come in,” Connor pulled him in by the lapels of his jacket. He followed willingly, scanned the house, reciting everything to memory.

It looked even better inside. It was similar to an early 2000’s magazine.

“I haven’t changed anything,” Connor explained, hands nervously flipping a quarter over his fingers. The dog bed, Sumo’s dog bed, still sat in the corner of the living room. There wasn’t a speck of dust anywhere.

“It’s very homy,” Richard said, taking the others hand. “You’ve done a fantastic job of up keep. I’m sure Hank would be very happy.”

Connor looked up at him in shock, hand tightening like a vice. His face crumpled, pulling the taller android closer to hide his face in the crook of his neck. “Thank you.”

Richard hugged him, holding him as close as he could. They stood that way for almost ten minutes before Connor pulled away, face blue, and eyes wet.

“I think that’s the nicest thing anyone’s said,” he said, looking around the living room to regain his thoughts and wipe his tears.

“Did you have anything planned for today?” Richard tried to get the others mind back on track. It was only noon.

“Oh, yes!” Connor perked back up. “I wanted to show you the New Jericho building!” 

Richard smiled. He always smiled when Connor was around.

The first few days, Connor showed him around the tallest building in Detroit, the epicenter of all things pertaining to the android freedom cause. Next, buying food to test at the few eatery places that Hank had loved.

Connor had cleaned out Hank's room, replacing many of the items with new ones.

“It was one of his last requests,” Connor said when Richard asked.

“To replace things in just this room?”

“Make it my home.”

Richard nodded, a little less uneasy at the idea of sleeping in the late Lieutenants bed.

Things had been smooth between them, where Richard thought there would be tension. They touched and kissed as if picking up where they had left off. He allowed himself to enjoy every moment but refused Connor’s advances for more. It was too painful to think Connor was using him again. Scratch an itch, as a helpful internet search provided. Connor never pushed, though he cast his eyes away with shame. They didn’t talk about it.

On Richards last full day, Connor was somber.

“I wanted to… introduce you to the Lieutenant,” Connor said, nervously adjusting his tie in the bathroom. The early morning sun was rising slowly, painting they sky in purples and oranges.

Richard was sure he had heard wrong. “Introduce?”

“Take you to where he is. Just for you to see,” Connor reworded. “If that is too much, I understand.”

“No. I want to meet him.”

Connor still looked sad, but his eyes were bright with thanks.

The slate grey tombstone shone bright in the February sun. Richard was quiet, watching Connor clean the area around the site with care and love. Richard didn’t have it in him to be jealous, this wasn’t the time nor place. He could never live up to the deviants dead human lover, regardless. In a weird way, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Connor had shown the capacity to see Richard in a different light, never truly comparing him against the Lieutenant.

He handed Connor the two dozen roses they had purchased on their way. Connor gave him a forced smile, removing the plastic covering and laying them naked against the base. He leaned forward, he went still for nearly a minute kissing the slate. He laid his forehead against the stone, whispering a few things before standing again, taking his place next to Richard.

“I… just wanted to show you,” Connor said, wiping at the tears that were falling. “If this is awkward, we can go back.”

Richard shook his head, rubbing between the smaller androids shoulders in reassurance. “This is… nice.” He took a deep breath, coming to a conclusion he’d been wrestling with during this trip. “Would you mind if I say a few things?”

Connor scanned him, unable to process what the other meant. “To Hank?”

“Yes. I understand some people bring new lovers or older children to graves and that conversation is normal. Just as you talked to him.”

Connor blushed blue, but nodded. “Go ahead.”

Richard got down on one knee, placing a stray rose back into place neatly. “Lieutenant Hank Anderson,” he started formally. “I have heard a lot about you from Connor. I understand your relationship evolved over the years you worked with him and till your death.” He paused, assessing Connor’s stress. It was low but the tears were falling freely.

“I want to say how lucky you were to have spent so much time with him. In just the few short weeks we worked together, Connor made me feel things I didn’t think were possible. Maybe he has that effect one everyone?” He chuckled.

“I want to ask you a personal question,” he said, looking straight at the tomb stone. “Would you be alright with me taking over care of Connor?”

“Richard?”

“He never rests when he feels there is a mission for him to complete. Was he the same way back then as well? I think he needs someone to watch over him. Make sure he rests and eats properly.”

“We can’t derive nutritional—“ Connor started, words coming through a sob.

“I was asked to stay with my team by Connor when he left to take on his duties in Jericho. I answered his call without hesitation when he asked for me to return to his side. Sir, I hate to say I don’t think I can leave him again.”

“Richard…” he whispered.

“Would you be opposed to me taking up where you left off? No?” he nodded, getting back to his feet. “It was an honor to meet you,” he said patting the stone lovingly. “I won't let you down.”

He stumbled forward with the force of Connor flinging himself to hug the larger unit. He cried against Richard’s jacket, mumbling words incoherently. Richard pried his arms away, turning to look down into watery honey brown orbs.

“I meant every word,” Richard promised.

“Don’t leave,” Connor sobbed, hiding his face. “I--I didn’t know how to ask--”

“I was thinking of staying the whole time.”

That sent Connor into another wave of hysterics. A young human couple passed, giving Richard sympathetic smiles.

“You’ll have to quit,” Connor realized when they were in another taxi, heading back home. Richard held his hand firmly, unable to believe his predecessor was taking him back,

“I left things in place incase this happened. But I will have to go back for a few weeks.”

Connor was quiet, LED flickering between yellow and blue till they were laying in bed cuddling. The larger android was running his nails against his fellows scalp, enjoying the feeling of artificial hairs brushing against his sensors.

This whole trip felt like a dream, a crazy wish created by his demented preconstruction systems to hold him in the purgatory he’d wallowed in while living without Connor. He had the man he loved laying in his arms with the promise that forever might be a possibility. He’d take just this moment, but he was greedy. He wanted eternity.

Connor shifted, leg coming over to straddle him. His LED was a calm blue, eyes hooded with arousal. Richard didn’t push him away, settling his hands to rest on the others thighs.

“Can I help you?” he asked politely.

Connor bent down, arms caging the other in. “I think you can.”

Richard closed the distance, leaning forward just a little. They kissed lazily, analyzing the others saliva till their RAM was full. Richard was forced to pull back, processors overheating.

“I love that you need air,” Connor mumbled against the column of his neck, sucking and kissing his way down.

“You love a major flaw in my systems?”

“Your so warm,” he purred, flushing their bodies together. Connor was room temperature, moaning as the heat transferred.

Richard cooled faster with his help, bringing the smaller back up for a heated kiss. Shirts were removed in a frenzy and Connor was thrown down against the bed, Richard flipping their places.

“Do you know what I love about you?” Richard whispered against his navel, kissing the new scars the mobs had left.

Connor watched him with piercing brown eyes, breathing erratic. “No?”

“I love when you moan,” Richard said, grabbing at Connor through his pants.

His back arched off the bed, eyes squeezed shut and mouth falling open in a loud moan. He tried to find purchase against the sheets, Richard kneading at him like dough.

“N-no I—I—I c-can’t—!” Connor begged, biting into the meat of his hand to muffle himself.

Richard pulled away, ripping the hand from his mouth. “You are not aloud to quiet yourself, do you understand?”

“Yes,” Connor breathed, crashing against him, teeth knocking in a fevered kiss.

Richard shoved him back down against the bed, separating them to get his thoughts straight. “Try to cover them and I’ll have to restrain you.” 

“Hurry,” he begged, arching to try and create any friction.

Richard regarded him, the jeans he was wearing kept the tenting down to a minimum. He unbuckled the others pants slowly, watching every micro expression on the others face. He tossed the pants off the side of the bed. He worked two fingers under his briefs, teasing along Connor’s navel.

“Richard!” Connor snapped, “just fuck me!”

“That’s not very nice,” Richard flipped him over onto his stomach, ripping the underwear at the seams.

“Why my clothing?!” Connor demanded, starting to sit up.

“No,” Richard ordered, slamming him back down to the bed, hand between his shoulders. The bed frame protested loudly at the rough treatment.

Connor moaned, anger forgotten in favor of focusing on the warm hand pressed between his shoulders. Two warm fingers drifted down the cleft of his ass, teasing down, down past to his taint, down, down till he was brushing circles against his balls.

Connor shivered, shoving two fingers into his mouth to stimulate himself further. The feather light touches up and down and up and down, over and over were enough to set his sensors off but too light to derive real pleasure.

“P-please, Richard,” he begged after nearly twenty rounds of torture. “I-I need you!”

“Not yet,” the other said from behind. “But you’ve been very good,” he praised, his fingers stopping over the eager sphincter twitching for him. “This is your treat.”

The fingers slipped in slowly, slick on his produced lubrication. Connor pushed himself against the headboard, shoving more in.

“Don’t get greedy,” Richard warned, halting his progress.

Connor moaned into the pillow, legs shaking with the effort of not moving. Richard kissed his upper thigh, pushing his fingers all the way in. He set a brutal pace right from the start. Connor lost use of his arms, pillows supporting him, bed frame knocking rhythmically against the wall. He was a moaning mess, sensors focusing on the bottom half of his body.

Richard felt a sense of pride when Connor could no longer support himself, trying to dig even deeper. He added a third finger, enjoying the higher pitch Connor sang his praise at.

Even with all the teasing, his own cock was begging for release, any stimulation to relieve some of the pressure building. He slowly removed his own belt and pants, unrelenting in his actions against Connor.

“I-I’m going to—!” Connor bit out, back starting to arch of its own will, balls lifting and ass tightening. Richard yanked his hand out, fingers clamping against the base of the others shaft.

Connor whined with the expected loss, screamed at the pressure surrounding him.

“Not yet my love,” Richard kissed his lower back by way of apology, slipping out of his own boxers. Once assured the other had ample time to calm down, he lined himself up.

Connor reached back with both his arms, Richard taking them, pulling him off the mattress and entering him at the same time. Connor bowed, pulled back farther and farther till he was full. The breath he was holding came out in a high pitched wine no human could hear. Good thing Richard wasn’t human. The whine set every fiber of Richard ablaze, no longer wishing to take it slow, he pulled Connor off him and snapped his hips forward.

Connor didn’t have a say in where his momentum was taking him, Richard pulling and pushing him around at will. It was an enlightening experience, or it would have been if he had any processing power left to think beyond the seven different levels of pleasure the larger android was pulling from him.

His precum was staining the bed, his cock bobbing against his stomach. He tightened himself around his lover, enjoying the rough growls he could pull from the other. Each one went straight to his dick, harder than steel.

“You ready?” Richard whispered suddenly, hand surrounding Connor. Words weren’t possible but a whine sounding very much in the affirmative was all he needed.

Richard pumped him in time with his thrust, pushing Connor back against him from a different angle. He had been purposefully missing the others simulated prostate. The push up changed where he hit, slamming mercifully into the prostate with each thrust.

Connor was shaking like a leaf, body vibrating as he slammed against the edge and tipped. His voice box gave out half way through his scream. Richard cupped a hand around his throat to pull Connor's back flush against his chest, fucking up into him till he filled the smaller up with his own fluids.

They knelt on the bed, Richard supporting Connor’s slumped weight. He had accidentally pushed to hard. Connor had gone into emergency shut down to prevent further overheating issues. His pride of sending the other into shutdown warmed him further.

He pulled away, reciting the sight of his cum slipping down Connor’s thighs to memory. He laid the other down, breathing harshly to cool his own systems down. No matter how much the afterglow wanted him to cuddle, he needed to keep his hands to himself till the other woke back up. He busied himself with cleaning Connor, then himself.

He lay next to his lover, moving hairs out of the way. If he didn’t know any better, Richard would think he was in stasis. Richard let his mind drift through the haze of his afterglow protocols, near stasis when a hand cupping his cheek woke him back up.

“I love you,” Connor said, pecking their lips together.

“I love you too.” Richard said, pulling him in close.

They lived in the moment, neither breaking their silence.

 

*----------------------------*

 

Richard was forced to return to deliver his bad news to Captain Rogers.

He’d rubbed a hand over his face in frustration but let out a knowing sigh. “I knew this was going to happen.”

“You did?” Richard asked in shock. He was sure he hadn’t given anything away when asking for the time off.

“You two are inseparable,” the human said with a shrug. “And Connor has been through a lot. If anyone in this world deserves the whole pie of happiness, it's that little guy.”

“Thank you, for everything you’ve done. For me and him,” Richard said sincerely.

“Yeah, yeah,” Captain waved it of, uncomfortable. “It’s my job.”

The move was rather easy with the few items that he had. His belongs beat him to Detroit but he had a few loose ends still. The guys threw a going away party, smiles and beer to go around. For once Richard partook, Chris damn near pissed himself.

“Connor explained this!” Harris shouted at him, slapping him over the head.

“Oh, right!”

They laughed.

Richard couldn’t enter stasis, to keyed up for his flight. Moving had never appealed to him, but if Connor wanted to live on the moon, Richard would ask where and when.

Even when he landed the next day, scooping Connor into his arms and kissing him, it didn’t feel real. Connor was excitedly chattering about job opportunities available at New Jericho he thought Richard would be great at. Richard just watched him, holding his hand, memorizing every little detail of his profile.

The Lieutenants old house was still the same as he remembered. He wasn’t sure why he thought there would be a massive change now that this was his permanent residence. Maybe it was the atmosphere?

Connor cornered him against the wall, kissing him passionately.

“I’m so happy your here.”

“Happy to be here.”

“Promise to never leave?” Connor whispered, a sliver of fear hidden deep in his eyes.

Richard pulled him into a bone crushing hug. “Never.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I had to give them a sappy fucking ending!!! 
> 
> This whole fandom is a dumpster fire 
> 
> I'm burning live
> 
> Don't send help
> 
> Love, Angel


End file.
